Africa-Press – Angola. Judokas from the province of Cunene begin working with a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor on Wednesday, at the start of the last stage of preparation for the National Judo Championship, from 3 to 5 November, in Malanje.
After completing the first stage of individual work, in September, and the second, collective, since the beginning of October, the 16 Cunene representatives at the national event will have assistance from the instructor, Mohamed, of Malian nationality.
According to the general secretary of the local association of the sport, Celestino Brandão, in statements this Monday, by telephone, from Luanda, the idea is to empower athletes with techniques on the ground, where Brazilian Jiu-jitsu it is strong.
He explained that in judo we work in projections and on the ground, and that the option to hire a training specialist from another similar modality is justified by the fact that the intention is for Cunene representatives to be prepared in every way possible.
“Today it is common for judo fights to end on the ground, which is why we prepare our athletes in the best possible way, particularly in this aspect of Jiu-jitsu”, he said, adding that Cunene will strive to participate in a worthy way in the debut event of this type.
Cunene athletes, from the SP Desportivo club, Escola de Judo Força de Vontade, Kodocan Santa Clara and EFF, qualified for the national championship among the 58 competitors who competed in the provincial championship, last August.
Guided by the duo Salvador Amaral “mestre Dog” and Adilson Francisco, they are Narciso dos Santos, Yuri Brandão, Ângelo Hermegildo and Maria Braga (-60 kg), Adilson Francisco, Mário Malu, Panda Quinanga and Joel Lázaro (-66 kg ).
Completing the group are Herculando Henda, Abel Filipe, Francisco Venâncio and Abel Ndala (-73 kg), Artur Manuel, Firmino Samuel and Filipe Cativa (-81kg), as well as Filipe Kikama (-90kg).
According to Celestino Brandão, only 16 athletes will participate in the national championship, as opposed to the 18 initially planned given the unavailability of two female judokas.
Despite being a newcomer to the National Championship, the province of Cunene is already participating in a national junior and cadet tournament called “Friendship League”, in November 2022, in Huíla, with six athletes.
The Cunene Provincial Judo Association registers 275 practitioners from the municipalities of Cuanhama, Ombadja and Namacunde. It also has seven schools and a club.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
