Tam tam basket, Fip green light to all non-Italian players

There is the happy ending to the story of Tam Tam basketball, the company founded in 2016 by Massimo Antonelli, former Virtus Bologna player (1976 championship with Dan Peterson on the bench), Napoli and Nazionale in the 70s and 80s to allow the children born in Italy of destitute African immigrants who live in Castel Volturno and surroundings, to play in the Under 17 championship of Excellence without quota limitations and membership, notwithstanding the regulations that establish a maximum number of two foreign players or in any case not in possession of the Italian citizenship.

The decision

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Today the President of the Fip, Gianni Petrucci, accepting the invitation of the President of Coni, Giovanni Malagò “allowed – reads the official Fip note – the company Tam Tam to be able to register on the scoresheet for each race of the Under 17 Championship. non-Italian citizenship without the limits imposed by current regulations and despite the recent rulings of the TAR in favor of the Fip. This provision, taken into consideration the uniqueness of the operating context of the Tam Tam company, aims to reaffirm the value of sport as a tool for inclusion social and overcoming any obstacle or barrier of racial origin “.

The previous steps

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The Tar on 21 October last resolved in favor of the federal decision which, on the eve of the start of the championship, had denied the request to Tam Tam to field all its “non-EU” boys, rejecting the appeal presented by Antonelli’s club. At the end Malagò applauded at the opening of the Fip: “I want to sincerely thank the president Petrucci and the Fip for having granted the Tam Tam company the possibility of enrolling athletes of non-Italian citizenship on the scoresheet, going beyond the limitations dictated by current legislation. to President Petrucci for having followed up on the shared reflections on the advisability of granting the derogation to a unique reality, despite the formal orientations expressed by the TAR, demonstrating his great sensitivity and the centrality that he has always attributed to the values ​​that make unique the sport”.

Politics applauds

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Politics also entered the field: “Federbasket’s decision to allow TamTam Basket boys to participate in the championship is a good sign from Italian sport and wonderful news for the Castel Volturno community” tweeted the President of the Chamber. , Roberto Fico. The last round of applause comes from Prime Minister Draghi, who was a basketball player at the level of minor leagues in his youth: “Sincere appreciation – are the words of the Prime Minister – for this decision that grants this derogation to a noble reality that makes inclusion its mission, and for having shown great sensitivity for civic values ​​which also find expression in sport “.