Ramacrisna Institute teams won ten medals and the overall judo title at JEMG, as well as finishing runners-up in the Metropolitan School Chess Circuit

The past weekend brought a series of podium finishes for athletes from the Ramacrisna Institute in Betim. In judo, the team won ten medals, claimed the overall boys’ title in Module II and secured three places at the 2026 CAIXA Youth Games during the Minas Gerais School Games (JEMG). In chess, the Betim delegation finished second overall in the team standings at the fifth stage of the Metropolitan School Chess Circuit.

With 14 athletes, the judo team competed over five days and reached eight finals, winning four gold, four silver and two bronze medals, as well as securing two seventh-place finishes. On Saturday, the final day of competition, judokas Isaac Heitor Vasconcelos Gonçalves and Yuri Keven da Silva faced each other in an all-Ramacrisna final, taking the top two places in their category.

The points earned throughout the competition secured the team the overall boys’ title in Module II. It was Ramacrisna’s tenth title in the competition, bringing its total to ten gold trophies and making the Institute a ten-time champion.

“We remained very consistent throughout the competition, with eight athletes reaching the finals. Winning the overall title demonstrates the strength of the team, while the final between Isaac and Yuri confirmed the technical level our athletes have achieved. It was an outstanding result in a highly competitive tournament,” said sensei Caliton Silva.

The team’s performance also secured places for three athletes in the national stage of the 2026 CAIXA Youth Games, which will be held between October and November in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná. The team will have another opportunity to increase that number from August 3 to 9, when it competes in a new JEMG stage in Pará de Minas.

“Our focus now is to prepare the qualified athletes for the national stage and maintain our competitive momentum for the events in Pará de Minas. We have other athletes who are capable of earning a place, and we will work to increase our representation,” Caliton added.

Chess team finishes second overall

In chess, 16 participants represented Ramacrisna at the fifth stage of the Metropolitan School Chess Circuit, held on July 18 in Capim Branco. The competition brought together 196 chess players from different cities, clubs and educational institutions across Minas Gerais.

The team’s best individual result came in the Girls’ Module Zero division, with two athletes reaching the podium. Maria Eduarda Reis Silva won the title with four points, followed by Ana Júlia Ferreira da Silva Ribeiro, who also scored four points and finished as runner-up. Letícia Caroline Pereira Gualberto completed the team’s presence among the top five, finishing fifth.

In the Module Zero Open division, Enzo Gabriel Ferreira de Almeida finished fifth with 3.5 points. In the Module I Open division, Anthony Gabriel Moreira Dutra placed sixth with four points.

Instructor Bruno Jacomini also competed, finishing fourth in the Module III Open division—an unrestricted category—with four points. The combined results earned Ramacrisna second place in the overall team standings.

“The runner-up finish was built on the consistency of our chess players across the different categories. Maria Eduarda and Ana Júlia took the top two places, while other athletes finished close to the podium and contributed valuable points to the team standings. The team showed concentration and maintained a competitive performance throughout the entire stage,” Bruno Jacomini said.

With individual titles, several top finishes and second place in the team standings, Ramacrisna’s chess players ended the stage among the leading competitors in the circuit.