On 19th August, Mr Roberto Danin was present at the draw for the World Championships Cadets in Guayaquil in his role as an Ecuadorian Judo Federation board member, but he is also proud to say that his company is among the local sponsors for the event.
Roberto is the owner and founder of Baterias Dacar, an Ecuadorian battery manufacturing company. For many years Dacar has sponsored judo activity in Ecuador. Roberto’s brother Carlos runs a recycling company, Fundametz Industria Metalúrgica, also a local sponsor for this event and others, but why do they continue to support judo so impactfully?
Roberto and Carlos were members of the Ecuador national judo team and spent their youth and even many of their adult years competing at various levels. Carlos fought at the 1989 Yugoslavia World Championships and each of the brothers has numerous national accolades.
“We believe in the values of judo, says Roberto. “It is a sport that helps to form people, to develop them. Promoting the values of judo in young people helps keep them out of danger, away from drug culture and other challenges in society. It’s part of the education system.”
Carlos and Roberto have sponsored several projects and events for Ecuadorean judo, including support for their team selected to compete at the 2019 World Championships in Japan and sponsoring the 2022 World Junior Championship event, also held in Guayaquil.
Roberto continues, “Within our companies we give scholarships to judoka, motivating them to go through university. Some have now come through school programmes too and are competing at a high level, including youth Olympics.”
Giving back to the sport they grew up in is essential for Roberto and Carlos. Event sponsorship, judoka scholarships, travel support and much more continue to contribute to the vibrant Ecuadorean judo community. “We have plans for building a new dojo. As owners and founders of this new training space, we plan to open it up to former judo coaches who no longer have positive work situations, perhaps for those who have been made redundant or lost their jobs in other ways. Getting them back on the tatami in productive roles is good for them and good for society.”
There are so many ways of giving back. Roberto and Carlos Danin are showing that once we are touched by judo’s philosophies, it becomes essential to stay involved, to contribute to development and positive experiences for others.