An exceptional location, the Sala Giulio Cesare of Palazzo Senatorio, in Campidoglio, seat of the Capitoline Assembly, hosted the presentation of the blues of the Paralympic Boccia, engaged from tomorrow, Wednesday 7 September 2022, at the World Boccia Intercontinental Challenger, an international competition , the first of its kind in Rome, preparatory for qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
The event, which allows athletes with serious and very serious disabilities to be able to try their hand at a competitive competition, organized by the Italian Bocce Federation, through a designated Organizing Committee, is supported by BMW Specialmente.
The presentation of the Azzurri aroused great interest and media attention.
The blue delegation, led by the head of delegation Vincenzo Santucci, is made up of the coach Giada Zoli, the deputy Mauro Perrone, the assistant coach Agostino Demartis, the technical assistant Giulia Borin, the athletes Riccardo Zanella, Claudia Targa, Diego Gilli, Ciro Montanino, Mirco Garavaglia, Gabriele Zendron, Giulia Marchisio, Matteo Tosetti and Riccarda Ambrosi, by the assistants Marco Zanella, Sonia Bodo, Alexandro La Placa, Martino Miorelli, Umberto Garavaglia, Adriano Zendron, Maria Rita Cattani, Roberto Marchisio, Rosa Caviglia, Lorenzo Sponzilli and Sabrina Shaker.
At the starting line until 14 September, at the Torrino Federal Technical Center, twenty-one national teams: Brazil, Australia, Azerbaijan, Ireland, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Thailand, Germany, Egypt, France, Italy, Spain, Finland, Portugal, Honk Kong, Israel, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Slovenia, India and Turkey.
Individual titles will be awarded in the Categories BC1, BC2, BC3, BC4, in the Pair BC3 and BC4, to teams in the categories BC1 and BC2.
“As a Roman it is truly an emotion to present this event in a location of such great prestige and, for this, I thank the mayor Roberto Gualtieri and the Capitoline municipal administration – the words of federal president Marco Giunio De Sanctis, awarded a special medal by the mayor of Rome – The Paralympic Boccia, which entered the FIB in 2018, also thanks to the support of CIP and FISPES, has reached an excellent technical-sporting level in the same way as all our other specialties. We are working so that some blue can qualify for Paris 2024 and, at the moment, we have at least three highly competitive athletes, a sign of the great work we are doing. Just a month ago, the Azzurri Mirco Garavaglia and Giulia Marchisio won a World Cup round in the Netherlands, the first international victory in a four-year journey ”.
“Ours is a great Federation, which integrates high level and sport for all, with a great social propensity – he continued Of the Saints – All sports disciplines must have the same dignity and consideration. A gold medal has the same value in every sport and the blue that our Boccia athletes wear today is of the same intensity as the national teams of all the other disciplines. This is the main aim that I set myself after having fought for years together with the presidents in charge to get athletes with disabilities to acquire the same rights and the same attention ”.
“Among the major sporting events in Rome we also include the World Boccia Intercontinental Challenger in 2022 – the comment of president of the CIP, Luca Pancalli – The compliments, for the work of disseminating the sports discipline and for this important event, go to the president of the FIB, Marco Giunio De Sanctis, who for the umpteenth time has shown great competence and sensitivity towards the Paralympic sports world, to the Secretary General Riccardo Milana and to all the talented staff of the FIB ”.
“I got to know the world of bowls thanks to the stories of De Sanctis – he recalled pancalli – A federation of unique complexity, whose management requires great managerial, managerial and technical skills, characteristics of those who now lead the FIB. The sport of bowls unites generations and is placed within our community as an important vehicle for active welfare actions with great value in the world of sports policy, as an additional resource for the construction of a better country, able to ensure equal rights and equal dignity “.
Addressing the blues, pancalli remembered how “Each of our Paralympic athletes has a great responsibility, beyond the competitive one, that is to be a source of inspiration, passion and hope for all those who will watch sports competition this week”.
Also present at the vernissage was the councilor for sport, Alessandro Onorato (shortly before the presentation of the Italian Golf Open, ndr), who pointed out how “The Capitoline municipal administration gives importance, in the same way, to all sports disciplines and this is a source of pride”.
To close the press conference, the landlord, the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, who highlighted how “Federbocce is creating something fundamental and, in some ways, innovative. Rome wants to go back to being the Capital of major sporting events, involving the city from the center to the suburbs, because sport is a tool for growth, participation, health, sociality, as well as a great business card for Rome. We are pleased that the World Boccia Intercontinental Challenger is also on our program. The athletes of the Paralympic Boccia, who will compete in the next few days, will be the example for many with the demonstration that great achievements are always possible ”.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, Wednesday 7 September 2022, at the Torrino Federal Technical Center, which will be redeveloped with funds from the PNRR, whose FIB projects have aroused the interest of Roma Capitale, the inaugural ceremony of the World Boccia Intercontinental Challenger is scheduled. . Then the sporting event begins with finals and award ceremonies scheduled for 11 and 13 September.