Two Parthenope students won gold at the European Youth Karate Championships in Limassol, Cyprus, allowing Italy to reach the top step of the podium at the international event.
Luigi Di Rubba and Vincenzo Pappalardo, students in the Sports Sciences program at Parthenope University, achieved this prestigious recognition after years of hard work, perseverance, and dedication.
Luigi and Vincenzo, who share the same university background (Luigi is a first-year student and Vincenzo is a second-year student) and are teammates, defeated France in the under-21 team competition, achieving the prestigious and well-deserved milestone.
In addition to the team gold, Vincenzo also won a bronze medal in the individual competition this year. Luigi won his second gold at the European Championships, following the 2024 Under-18 gold medal and a silver medal in the Under-16 individual competition: “Winning the European Championships for the second time,” he commented, “was an indescribable feeling: a mix of joy, adrenaline, and pride for all the work I’ve done. This victory gives me even more strength to continue improving and achieve ever greater goals.”
“This is a fantastic achievement,” emphasized Rector Antonio Garofalo, “which fills us with pride. We are proud to have students like Luigi and Vincenzo who, with perseverance and determination, have managed to combine their academic commitments with competitive sports, reaching the highest levels that bring prestige to all of Italy. Our University pays special attention to young people who wish to complete their studies without sacrificing their healthy passion for sports.”
