The team will have 18 representatives in the biggest student competition in Minas Gerais
The municipal selection round for the JEMG (Minas Gerais School Games), held last weekend in the Teresópolis neighborhood of Betim, brought good results for the Ramacrisna Institute. Of the 12 judokas from the Vale project, run by the institution in partnership with Vale, who took part in the competition, 10 qualified for the state stage of the competition. In addition to them, another eight athletes, who had already secured their places automatically, will join the newly qualified ones, adding up to a total of 18 representatives from the Institute in the next phase of the JEMG.
The Minas Gerais School Games are recognized as the biggest student competition in Brazil and this year they broke an all-time record with 100% of Minas Gerais municipalities taking part, 853 in all. The 2025 edition began on April 21 and runs until August 24, involving young athletes aged 12 to 17 from public and private schools across the state.
Among the highlights of the Ramacrisna team are athletes Ray Lucas, Yuri da Silva, Diego Sampaio, Anna Lara, Nicoly Pereira, Pietro Alves, Davi de Oliveira, Júlia Gabrielle and Isaac Vasconcelos, who won first place in their categories. Eloá de Araújo came second, while Luan Costa, Pedro do Carmo, Thauny Prazer and Miguel Paz took third place.
For sensei Caliton Silva, who is responsible for training the judokas, the result is a source of pride. “We’re very happy with this achievement. It’s the result of a lot of training, discipline and dedication on the part of our athletes. Seeing so many students qualify for the JEMG shows that we are on the right track and fills us with motivation for the next stages,” said the coach.
The weekend was also a highlight for taekwondo
The taekwondo team also celebrated this weekend with significant achievements. The athletes from the Viva o Esporte project, run by the institution in partnership with Betim City Hall, ended the 3rd and final stage of the Minas Gerais Taekwondo Championship, in the city of Mariana (MG), with an impressive haul: 16 medals, eight gold, six silver and two bronze.
The team included 20 athletes aged between 12 and 23, who competed in the Poomsae (technical demonstration) and Kiorugui (traditional fighting) categories. The group showed not only individual talent, but also a strong team spirit, which contributed to the excellent results obtained against competitors from all over the state.
Their performance earned 14 of the project’s athletes places in the Brazilian Championship and the Brazilian Cup. But before the national tournaments, the youngsters have another challenge ahead of them: the Southeast Regional Open, which will be held in July in the city of Sete Lagoas.
For the vice-president of the Ramacrisna Institute, Solange Bottaro, the recent achievements in judo and taekwondo are a source of great pride. “These achievements demonstrate how sport is a powerful tool for social transformation. Our athletes have dedicated themselves intensely and the results are the fruit of hard work and perseverance. For the Institute, it’s an honor to be able to offer these opportunities and to see our young people growing on and off the mats,” he says.
