This afternoon, the inauguration ceremony of the “Flipper” sports center named after Antonio Manganelli who died 10 years ago due to an illness while he was still serving as Chief of Police.
The “Flipper” sports center, recently renovated by the municipality of Avellino, has been entrusted to the management of the Golden Flames of the State Police and will host courses in wrestling, boxing, judo, weightlifting, football and basketball for the city’s young people and is part of a broader project, aimed at carrying out activities to promote the culture of sport and legality. A valid alternative to the road, where kids can train through the healthy values that sport can offer.
In his speech, the prefect Giannini underlined “A golden flames youth section is an important place because inside it is possible to create a union between sport, citizens, especially young people and institutions, a place where values are taught important. The youngsters will proudly grow together with the champions of the Fiamme Oro and with patience, tenacity and passion they will be able to achieve exceptional results, all qualities that our boss, the prefect Manganelli, had, who dedicated his whole life to these values, believing a lot in young people”
The event, moderated by the former Fiamme oro athlete Stefano Pantano, was attended by Adriana Piancastelli, wife of Antonio Manganelli, his daughter Emanuela, the prefect and quaestor of Avellino, Paola Spena and Maurizio Terrazzi, the mayor Gianluca Festa as well as the president of the Golden flames Francesco Montini and the technical managers of the sports group of the State Police Valentina Vezzali, Giuseppe Maddaloni and Roberto Cammarelle.
The relatives of the prefect Manganelli and the Minister of the Interior Piantedosi unveiled the plaque. The blessing was imparted by the vicar of the bishop of Avellino, Don Pasquale Iannuzzo accompanied by the chaplain of the State Police, Vincenzo Spagnuolo.
The conclusions were made by the Minister who highlighted “We like to name this important initiative after Antonio Manganelli not only because Antonio was from Avellino, but also because one of the great intuitions as head of the police was also that of opening places like this in Marcianise, where there is convergence between the practice of sport and the prevention of youth discomfort through the proposition of sport, with the message of legality and safety that the State Police has been conveying for years in a very effective way among young people”.
In the morning, still in Avellino, the city where Antonio Manganelli was born and raised, the Minister of the Interior Piantedosi and the Chief of Police Giannini participated in the conference “Antonio Manganelli: a man, a policeman, a boss” organized by the Association national officials of the State Police. Together with family, colleagues and longtime friends of the late Chief of Police, his figure as a charismatic leader, skilled investigator and caring man was remembered, still appreciated today by the policemen whom he loved to call “my boys”.
Deborah Mecchia