Sagunto honours Aleix Rivas, Spanish Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion
Sagunto City Council paid tribute to young athlete Aleix Rivas after he won gold at the Spanish Brazilian jiu-jitsu championship in the youth category.
The plenary hall of Sagunto City Council hosted a municipal tribute on Tuesday to Aleix Rivas, a young athlete from Sagunto who has become Spanish champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, in the youth category A (over 26 kg). The title comes from a championship organised by the International Sport Jiu-Jitsu Federation (FIJJD), which counts towards the national ranking in this discipline.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the discipline Aleix competes in, is a martial art, combat sport and self-defence system that originated in Brazil from techniques of Japanese judo, adapted and popularised by the Gracie family until it spread worldwide. The FIJJD itself, the body that certified this latest title, is the international organisation that regulates and organises jiu-jitsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitions, which gives the championship Aleix won its validity within the national ranking circuit.
This gold medal is not an isolated case in the young Sagunto athlete's season: in recent months he has also taken first place at the FIJJD World Cup, the AJP Tour Valencia, the AJP Tour Barcelona and the Valencia BJJ Cup. Despite his young age, his overall medal record already totals six gold medals, two silver and one bronze — a tally few athletes in his category can match.
The ceremony was attended by Sagunto's mayor, Darío Moreno; the athlete's coach, Wanderson Da Costa; and several of Aleix's family members. Moreno highlighted the titles won so far and stressed that, given the athlete's young age, he still has a long career ahead of him. The mayor said he was confident Aleix would keep returning to the council to celebrate new successes in the coming years, adding that the young athlete has become a role model and a source of inspiration for many children in the city.
Both Aleix and his coach stressed the crucial role family support has played in balancing daily training with competitions, some of which have required travel outside the Valencian Community. Da Costa, for his part, credited the results to the constant effort and discipline the young athlete has shown throughout the season, despite competing in several tournaments almost back to back.
The tribute continues a tradition at Sagunto City Council of giving public visibility to local athletes who stand out nationally and internationally, a practice aimed at encouraging other young people in the city to take up minority sports. According to aytosagunto.es, with additional information from Wikipedia and the official FIJJD website.