The Giant of Spello saves the honor of Umbria

A bitter bronze, the one won by Filippo Battistoni in the finals of the Italian Cup, held in Follonica Saturday 31 May, who saw wrecked the dream of winning the gold after losing the match against the athlete of Genoa, D'Apice. A fight dominated by Filippo up to a minute until the end of the fight, when a sudden and unexpected blow deprived him of the opportunity to play the final, and relegated him to recover to win the third place. During the recoveries, Filippo did not give a chance to anyone and defeated one after the other three opponents, beating them before the time ran out with spectacular ippons. Three fights managed with supremacy and safety, which demonstrate that the samurai of Spello is back stronger than before and certainly more mature. Nothing to do for Alessandro Binucci, who was unable to repeat the success of last year, when he won the bronze: a difficult group, with the four strongest civil athletes in Italy. After he won two fights, he fought until the end against the Italian champion D'Alessandro, and at the recoveries, he impacts against Micelli of Turin, which exceeds him in a very balanced fight: by the way, both opponents of Alessandro conquered a place on the podium. Weak, however, the performance of Andrea Biasin, Michael Balzana and Giacomo Gramaccioni, who failed to pass the first round, while the strong athlete Michele Damiani, recent bronze at the University Italian Championships, is passed in the first round by Colarossi, in a fight strongly influenced by arbitrage. Unfortunately, the new regulation does not give space to show and the penalties are inflicted continuously to the detriment of technique, but these are the decisions of the highest organ of the world judo.

Tournament of Osimo

The young kids of Spello showed their skills at the tournament of Osimo, which took place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May. Alessio Cecera and Tiziano Meniconi conquered their way up to the top step of the podium, while their teammates Angelica Sechi, Oana Cont and Alice Capitini achieved a great result with two silver and a bronze medal. Always at the top the Italian champion Massimo Mancini that obtains the top step after defeating his opponents without worries. Good performance of Jordy Suarez, Luca Giulietti, Patryk Stojecki and Giacomo Fiorucci.

National University Championships 2014

For Alessandro Binucci (CUS PERUGIA) yesterday was a day to forget at the National University Championships held in Milan. In the first round he lost against Micelli (2nd place) of CUS Torino and in the second fight, a daring action gets him out of the race for the podium. Excellent, however, the performance of Michele Damiani (CUS CAMERINO) in the 90 kg category, but in the encounter of the semifinals an arbitration oversight prevents him to fight for the gold. In the fight for the bronze, Michele led an excellent race and conquered the last step of the podium. Nothing to say about the final fought by the athlete of Spello Filippo Battistoni (CUS PERUGIA) who lost against Luca Marmo just for a passivity. Still in the 90 kg, Giacomo Gramaccioni won the first round by ippon, but an ankle injury that made him lose the second round.

Massimo Mancini together with the coach of the Italian national youth team, Sandro Piccirillo

Our young champion Massimo Mancini b.b. 2nd dan, together with the coach of the Italian national youth team Maestro Sandro Piccirillo, is engaged in some stages of the European Cup tournament, held in Zagreb, Coimbra and Pitesti, to which the athlete participated in the first half of 2014.

The samurais of Spello at the conquest of Belgium

The team of Spello, headed by technical Filippo Battistoni and Michael Balzana, took part to a prestigious tournament in La Louviere: double gold for Massimo Mancini, in the 90 kg and in addition, gold for Jordy Suarez, Lenin Mosquera, Gloria Giacomucci. Good fifth place for Karlo Kallcishta, Matteo Murasecco and Luca Gasparrini.

Gold for Alessandro Binucci at the internationals of Bellinzona

Great gold won by the samurai of Spello, Alessandro Binucci, at the internationals of Bellinzona. Saturday, May 3, the 34th Tournament took place in the vibrant city of Switzerland, and the athlete coached by the brothers Famà impressed for the supremacy demonstrated during the competition. In the final, due to a little mistake committed in the fight at the ground, he got in disadvantage for waza-ari, but the comeback was relentless and after three penalties for passivity inflicted to the opponent Binucci conquered the victory with a superb tai-otoshi ippon. Good also the fifth place of Filippo Battistoni, who after four fights stopped one step away from the podium: a performance that nonetheless bodes well for the future engagements of May, university cup and Italian Cup. Also their teammates have demonstrated their abilities in the qualification of the Italian Cup held in Torgiano, where they conquered the right to participate at the Italian Cup final scheduled for May 31 in Follonica. In addition we cannot forget the exciting performance of the team at the International Tournament held in La Louviere in France, where Jordy Suarez, Gloria Giacomucci, Lenin Mosquera and Massimo Mancini won the gold medal and Luca Gasparrini, Carlo Kallcishta and Matteo Murasecco placed fifth. Special accompanist was the Vice Mayor of Foligno, Stefania Mancini, for a competition sponsored by the Belgian twin town. Nothing to do for Massimo Mancini, who didn’t win any points for the European Championship in the competitions of Zagreb, Coimbra and Pitesti.

Giacomo Fiorucci reaches the coveted goal of the black belt

The young athlete Giacomo Fiorucci reached the coveted goal of the black belt at the internationals of Vittoria Veneto, achieving the last forty points to get the first dan. 1995, junior, 66 kg, Giacomo fought on the tatami with tenacity and perseverance to gain the necessary points for the passage to a higher grade belt, even in spite of numerous injuries. The Olympian Marino Cattedra delivered him the black belt during a regional training held Tuesday, March 4 in Spello.

Binucci fights for the Umbrian Delegation at the international tournament of Conegliano Veneto

Umbrian Judo shows his skills at the "Zoppas Arena" of Conegliano Veneto. In the first stage of the Junior and Senior Grand Prix the judokas showed a great technical rate, getting to the high positions of the charts. The best was the athlete of Spello Alessandro Binucci, second in the category of 81kg. Binucci won the silver medal after winning five battles. Nice try for his club-mate Filippo Battistoni, fifth in the heavyweight. Good performance also by Federica De Iovanna of "I Poeti del Judo", seventh place in the 52kg category. The rest of the delegation was represented by the Umbrian Marco Dionisi (Judo KDK Gubbio), Mirco Vigna, Leonardo Scarpanti, Calisti Jasmin (POL Yamashita), Nicolas Colombini (Guazzaroni Terni), Michele Damiani, Alfonso Argenio, Giacomo Fiorucci (KDK Spello), Francesco Brachelente and Matteo Lascialfari (KDK Fratta). The athletes of Umbertide Brachelente and Lascialfari, with the placings of Saturday, won the right to participate at the European Cup. The International Trophy city of Vittorio Veneto is one of the most prestigious competitions of the international judo scene with more than 2,000 members of 18 different nationalities, representing 300 different clubs. Also in the Masters category (over 30), the Umbrian athletes Dario Dionisi and Oscar Niccacci reached a great goal, both third classified in the categories of 73kg and +100kg.

Massimo Mancini is Champion of Italy

Saturday afternoon at Lido di Ostia, the athlete of Kodokan Samurai Spello gained the top step of the podium in the category of -90kg. A great result, symbol of capacity and determination of the young athlete that left no chance to his opponents. Mancini, trained by the brothers Giulio and Giuseppe Famà, after he won the first three meetings by Ippon (the equivalent of the knockout in boxing), he fought in the final against Lucci Prato. The balanced match had a breakthrough in the last 20 seconds when the class of Mancini overtook over the strong opponent of Tuscany. Before the bell rang, Massimo got a yuko, an important point granted him the victory. After the bronze medal last year, and the first place in the national ranking, the title of Champion of Italy opens the doors for a spot in the national team. Already on March 8 Massimo will defend the Italian colors in Zagreb in his first European ranking stage. "It 'a beautiful dream - says the new Italian champion - for which I must thank the team mates of the KDK Spello where I train five times a week. I would like to mention also my teachers, who transmitted me the passion for this wonderful sport, Fiocchetti and Nardone and especially my family and my father". That of Mancini is proof that strong motivation cannot stop you from climbing insurmountable obstacles. In addition to the gold medal and the call-up, Mancini also earned the second dan black belt. A Saturday to remember that on February 23, also for the excellent performance of five other samurais of the Kodokan Spello: Alfonso Argenio, Andrea Biasin, Michele Damiani, Filippo Battistoni and Alessandro Binucci who conquered great placings at the 40th International Tournament of Barcelona.

Great success at the Umbrian Cup held at the Palazzetto dello Sport of Spello

In two and a half hours on a Saturday afternoon – with the presence of the Mayor of Spello Sandro Vitali - about 200 athletes challenged on three fighting areas, in the name of entertainment and fun. At the end of the competition, the SAKURA OSIMO conquered the first place, followed by the second team JUDO CLUB FOLIGNO, of technician Andrea Ceccaroni, and JUDOLIMPIC SAN SISTO of master Romeo Cappella. The event on Sunday morning was attended by about 130 mini-judokas, a joyful and friendly competition, finished in just an hour and a half with the delivery of medals for all participants.