The Sassari club wins the Italian title Fisdir in the 4×200 freestyle An award for those who promote the sport of disadvantaged people
Sassari The other side of the coin is not gold. The other side of the coin tells of how much sport has been forgotten in these two years of pandemic, especially sport for people with disabilities. He talks about the difficulty that people with disabilities have in having equal rights and equal services.
The other side of the coin tells of how much “inclusion” is a concept on the lips of many but in the everyday life of a few. He says that our cities are fit for adult men and autonomous in thought and movement, certainly not fit for a person in a wheelchair or even simply for a child.
The other side of the coin tells that the fear of the different, culturally, conceptually and economically different snakes every time one confuses one’s opinion with the truth.
But every now and then it’s nice to see the flip side of it all. And today this side of the coin shines in gold, real gold: the AlbatroSS Project confirms itself as the strongest swimming company for people with relational intellectual disabilities in Italy in 4 x 200 freestyle. Thus at the Italian swimming championships organized by Fisdir (the Italian Federation of Relational Intellectual Disability Sports) which took place in Chianciano Terme from 16 to 18 June, Matteo Puggioni, Daniele Ruiu, Enrico Postiglione and Alessandro Roggio were the best of all competing against giants of the “continent”, who in their territory must not jostle for the water space, managing their own swimming pools or in any case coming from contexts in which there is a different recognition of the value of water. Success comes in hoped rather than expected way.
The closure of sporting activities during the pandemic was a serious blow. In fact, if it has brought the world of Olympic sports associations to its knees, which have had to reinvent themselves in a hundred or more ways to keep their associates engaged even at a distance, it has proved Paralympic associations much more significantly. The difficulties amplify the difficulties and if it was problematic to feel like a recluse at home for those who do not have to face the disability, living the same situation with special needs can turn the lockdown into a real nightmare. And at the same time transforming the resumption of activities into a real business.
Therefore this medal refreshes and inspires like wind in the sails the operators who work every day in the promotion of sport for disadvantaged people and who today collect the pieces of their work after a devastating two years, ready to start again.
Together with the four relay runners, Gavino Piras, Simone Carta, Roberto Marrosu, Giovanni Marongiu and Vincenzo Marano also participated in the Italian championships organized by the Italian Federation for Relational Intellectual Disability Sports; they were accompanied by the two technicians Edoardo Canu and Enrico Cargiaghe.
All the athletes performed well in the event qualifying in several individual finals.
Moreover, the day before the Italian title with the 4×200, the AlbatroSS had already tried to make the coup, always in the relay.
This time, however, the 4×100 style with Carta, Marongiu, Marrosu and Marano had to “settle” for the bronze medal, finishing in third place. A result of great prestige, however, which confirms the goodness of the work carried out in these difficult years.
If it is true that medals always have two sides, perhaps something can be learned from this new success of the AlbatroSS Project guys. At the very least it is worth continuing to fight and hope that another way of doing sport is possible.