The lighting of the flame at the La Marmora stadium, projected on the maxi screens of a Biella Forum full of authorities, fans and ordinary people, officially opened the “Play the Games” organized by the Special Olympics Team Piemonte. These games represent, since the first edition, a real and precious tool to raise awareness of the territory and promote, through sport, a culture of inclusion that educates to the understanding and enhancement of diversity in all its expressions.
In the “home” of Pallacanestro Biella there were moments of great emotion: first of all with the parade of 467 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities belonging to the 28 registered clubs, with a particular mention of the catwalk of the hosts of Asad Biella, which this year celebrates 25 years of activity in the name of sport and inclusion. The audience literally went into raptures during the projection of the lighting of the tripod by the home athlete Simone Perona; while the official opening of the games was given by the deputy mayor Giacomo Moscarola.
«Biella was a pioneer in the sector with the meeting“ Not to be different ”organized in 1985 – said Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Deputy Minister for Economic Development -. All this gives me great pride: since then many sports clubs have been born and I am very happy that today it is no longer a sporadic initiative, but something truly established that gives many people the opportunity to grow through sport ». After the exaltation for the inaugural ceremony, the competitions began yesterday with the preliminary rounds of the ten scheduled disciplines: athletics, bowling, bowling, football, flag rugby, rhythmic gymnastics, karate, swimming, volleyball and tennis.
«The Play the Games represent a restart and a throw-in in facing complexity and difficulties – says Manuela Lavazza, vice president of Special Olympics Italy -. I thank the whole organization, led by Charlie Cremonte and Susanna Rovere, for the competence and passion shown also in the development of projects aimed at social inclusion ». The finals are scheduled today.