The ignition of the flame on the tripod positioned at the “Lamarmora-Pozzo” stadium and the inauguration ceremony staged at the Biella Forum on Friday evening officially kicked off the Play the Games, organized by Special Olympics Team Piemonte in collaboration with the City of Biella, the Municipality of Gaglianico, the ASAD Biella sports association and the SportivaMente social cooperative and in partnership with Coca Cola, Rewoolution, LVMH Sustainable Development, Banca Sella, Biella Jazz Club, Santo Stefano Wellness & Sport and Dance 4.
In a sports hall full of authorities, families, fans, supporters and ordinary people, moments of great emotion were experienced: first of all with the parade of 467 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities belonging to the 28 registered companies, with a particular mention to the catwalk of the hosts of ASAD Biella during the celebration of its 25 years of activity in the name of sport and inclusion. Equally engaging were the moments of the show offered by the Max Tempia Power Six with the powerful voice of Silvia Fusè and by the dancers of Emily Angelillo’s Dance 4 dance school; everything was masterfully coordinated by the direction of Gigi Piana and the conduction of Noemi Gariano and Christian Zerbola.
Finally, the public literally went into raptures during the projection – on the big screens of the Biella Forum – of the lighting of the tripod by the ASAD athlete Simone Perona and with the official opening of the games given by the Deputy Mayor and Councilor to the Sport of the City of Biella Giacomo Moscarola.
Once the excitement for the inaugural ceremony has been disposed of, Saturday will already be time for competitions: we will start with the preliminary rounds of the 10 disciplines in the program, which we remember being athletics, bowling, bowling, football, flag rugby, rhythmic gymnastics, karate, swimming, volleyball and tennis, divided into the 10 sports facilities in the area involved (Municipal Bocciodromo, Bowling Center Two, Pietro Micca Gym, Biella Rugby, Biella Tennis Academy, Lamarmora-Pozzo Stadium, Ippon 2 Gym, Rivetti Gym, Rivetti Municipal Pool and Soccer Field Synthetic Municipal of Corso 53 ° Infantry). The finals are scheduled for Sunday.
«Biella was a pioneer in the sector with the meeting “To not be different” organized in 1985 – she comments 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 assert themselves through sport».
«Events like the Play the Games do not only do good in Biella but in all of Italy and even the school, from this perspective, can do a lot to improve people’s lives – he adds Lucia Azzolina (Deputata) – When it comes to promoting the value of inclusion through sport, I am always available to help “.
«Children with intellectual disabilities – explains Chiara Caucino (Councilor for Social – Piedmont Region) – they need to find important tools to develop their great potential and days like this teach how sport can be a valid tool for inclusion and enhancement. Confronting oneself with others and with one’s own limits stimulates personal and collective evolution “.
«The Biella-Special Olympics duo must become indissoluble and I hope that in the future there will be opportunities to weld it further increase more and more – comments Claudio Corradino (Mayor of Biella) – by the way I thank Charlie Cremonte and Susanna Rovere for everything they do. Added to this is an important economic impact that should not be underestimated for the promotion of our territory: the good we receive is much greater than what we give “.
«I Play the Games – dice Manuela Lavazza (Vice-President of Special Olympics Italy – President of the Time2 Foundation) – they represent a restart and a throw-in in dealing with complexity and difficulties. I thank the whole organization for the competence and passion shown also in the development of projects aimed at social inclusion. Furthermore, through TimeTo, we have built with ASAD initiatives to promote the development of autonomy and the paths towards adult life “.
«Collaboration with Play the Games demonstrates our willingness to be present in society by doing good – Sebastiano Saddle (Vice-Chairman of Banca Sella) -. The gratitude from those who, thanks to our help, have the opportunity to do something to give strength to the association and highlight the resistance of this world represents a great added value for us “.
