In a setting filled with passion and tradition, the Tenerife Juvenile Selection was declared Champion of the 40th edition of the CaixaBank Pancho Camurria Tournament after securing a narrow victory of 12-11 against Gran Canaria in the Terrero of Avenida de la Unión, in the neighbourhood. The contest, highlighted by balance and intensity from the outset, kept spectators on the edge of their seats right to the last grapple.
The match commenced with both sides alternating control, as the initial fighters from each team sought to establish dominance without conceding any advantages. The Tenerife team, managed by Yeray Ramos, exhibited from the start a strategy centred on rotation and the effectiveness of their intermediate block. Meanwhile, the Gran Canaria squad, led by Felo Naranjo, fielded a fighter who improved throughout the match, conserving some of their key elements for the later stages.
Throughout the contest, individuals such as Diego Rodríguez, Derek Alonso, and Christ León were pivotal in maintaining Tenerife’s competitive edge. Gran Canaria, with Víctor Trujillo and Omar Pérez serving as central figures in the squad, managed to respond at crucial moments, repeatedly equalising the score and compelling Tenerife to optimise their strategies.
The excitement peaked in the final moments, as multiple successive eliminations brought the score to 10-10. Ismael de Armas successfully countered the persistence of Malick Ndiaye to propel Tenerife ahead to 11-10. With everything at stake, Héctor Serpa from Gran Canaria and Aitor Díaz from Tenerife stepped onto the sand for a grapple that bore all the pressure of a closely contested final. After exchanging holds, neither fighter managed to unseat the other in the third round, concluding the event with a score of 12-11.
This victory enables Tenerife to retain the championship title they earned in the previous edition, reinforcing their status as a reference point in this competition. The success of Tenerife in the CaixaBank Pancho Camurria Juvenil will be remembered as one of the most hard-fought, in a day where Canarian wrestling shone brightly and stirred the emotions of all those who regard it as part of their identity.
