Venezuelan Judo Team Setโ to Compete in โEl Salvador, Eyeing 2026 Santo Domingo Games
san Salvador, El Salvador – Venezuela‘s top judokas, including Olympic participant Anriquelis โขBarrios and Pan American Champion Willis Garcรญa, will compete in teh Central American and โฃCaribbean Cup and Pan American Cup in El Salvador this September, with both โฃevents serving as crucial qualifiers for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo.
the competitions, scheduled for September 6th and 7th at the โTatami of theโฃ Sports Palace of the National Sports โInstitute of El Salvador, will featureโ a strong Venezuelan contingent aiming to secure points and solidify their positions forโ the upcoming regional games.Barrios,โค currently ranked 55th in the world, will compete โฃin the -63 kilogramโ category, โฃwhere she โคis โฃexpected to face tough competition from Mexico’s Prisca Awiti, ranked 28th globally. โAlso returning to international competition is โKaren Leรณn,whose last official event โฃwas a Grand Prix in Zagreb in July 2022. Leรณn will compete in โthe +78 kilogram division, facing Salvadoran โIzayana marenco, ranked 46th in the world.
Rounding out the women’s team are Eliana aguiarโค (-70), Gabriela Miranda (-48), and Zunilda Chรกvez (-78).
On the men’s side,Willis Garcรญa,the โ2023 Pan American Champion,and Luis amezquita,winner of the 2023 Pan American Open โคin Santo Domingo,will lead the charge. Garcรญa will compete in the -66 kilogram category, while โAmezquita will compete in theโฃ +100 kilogram division. Andrรฉs Pariche (-73), Jonheluis Patete (-90), and Angeloโค Urbano (-60) will also represent Venezuela.
The events alsoโ provide a valuableโข opportunity for younger Venezuelan judokas to gain experience and compete for a spot โขon the 2026 Santo Domingo โteam. Audreys Pacheco, aโฃ silver medalist at the 2025 Pan American Junior Games in Asunciรณn (-57kg), and Leomaris Ruiz, a โคbronze medalist inโข the โคsame competition (-52kg), will be looking to improve upon their previous results. Luis Pariche (81kg) and Samuel Corzo (-100kg),โ also medalists at the 2025 Junior Games,โ will also participate.
The Venezuelan team’s performance in El Salvador will be closely โwatched as they strive to qualify โfor the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.
(Source: Mindort)