The national wheelchair basketball team will be in retreat in the Martyr City to prepare for the European Championship scheduled in Madrid from 4 to 12 December
Life has turned its back on him in an instant. A car gone mad like a bullet, the shock terrible. A shot in the dark. Filippo at 13 found himself with his legs amputated and relegated to a wheelchair. “I’ll never sit on one of those. It makes me sick”, He said. They were very hard days, the fear of not making it, the broken dreams of a little boy.
Then the fundamental meeting with basketball thanks to a friend Andrea Giaretti. “I became passionate about basketball thanks to the emotional involvement I felt, I felt like I was going back to what I had always done. What I felt was exactly the same. Now I’m happy, I deserved to be”. Filippo Carossino, born in Arenzano in the Genoese area, today he is 28 years old and is the captain of the national wheelchair basketball team. Multi-titled, reigning Italian champion with Briantea84 Cantù, he is one of the strongest players around.
His example and that of the other Azzurri arrive in Cassino where the national team will prepare for the European Championship in Madrid from Thursday until December 2nd scheduled from 4 to 12.
THE LESSON OF LIFE
The arrival of the wheelchair basketball team is an important occasion for Cassino. The message of Paralympic sport is of great social value and not only for the world of disability. Carossino and his companions represent “modern heroes” who win the game with life every day in addition to that in the field. They never give up and courageously reach even unexpected goals. Just as everyone should do in their daily lives.
All aspects that he underlined Enzo Salera, mayor of Cassino. “We are happy to open the doors of the city, for the first time, at Italian national team that will carry out the pre-European preparation here” Salera said during the presentation of the retreat which took place in the Town Hall in the Restagno room.
“Our thanks go to the Nazionale and Fipic, to the delegate Fascina and to the president Zappile for having chosen Cassino who will be honored to host an event that enriches the entire community. All athletes, in every discipline, put passion into what they do but you – addressing the basketball players – you put even more. Your energy, the desire for redemption, the commendable commitment lavished with a thousand difficulties, they make you simply extraordinary athletes. And we cassinati are proud to have you herei”.
AMBITIONS
In addition to the mayor, the councilor for sport intervened at the presentation Maria Concetta Tamburrini, the president of the Italian Wheelchair Basketball Federation Fernando Zappile, the Fipic-Lazio delegate Piergiorgio Fascina, the coach of the national team Carlo Di Giusto, the president of Basket Cassino Dino Pagano and the patron of the Sporting Club Antonio Monfreda. Also present in the audience was the Cassinate Paralympic champion of throws Giuseppe Campoccio which with its extraordinary history is a testimonial in the area of the importance of Paralympic sport.
“I would like to thank the municipal administration, the Sporting Club, the Rocca family, owner of the Edra Hotel, the Unicas professor Alessandra Zanon, the Fipic president Fernando Zappile and all the organizations that contributed to the success of the initiative.”, Fascina underlined before recalling the importance of the sporting event that will follow the Cassinate retreat.
“After Cassino we will fly to Madrid to compete in the European Championship which will be valid for qualifying for the Dubai World Cup 2022. A milestone that only the first 5 teams out of the 12 that will participate will be able to cut”. Carlo Di Giusto, coach of the three national teams (major, under and female) of Fipic said “happy to be in Cassino with friends like Dino Pagano and Joe Black (the nickname of Campoccio ed). The team is made up of many young people but also elements of experience ”and will aim for victory”.
CAROSSINO AND COMPANIONS
Twelve called up by coach Carlo Di Giusto which from Thursday will meet in Cassino. The former captain returns to the blue after more than six years Matteo Cavagnini, absent from the European Championships in Worcester in 2015 (beyond the parenthesis of the All Star Game in February 2016) and one of the most important players on the national wheelchair basketball scene.
Absolute debut in international competitions for Driss Saaid, Alessandro Pedron and for Dimitri Tanghe, Serie A veteran with Saint Stephen, Belgian by birth, fresh from an Italian passport. Re-enter the group Davide Schiera, after the cut on the eve of the 2019 European Championships.
Confirmed in the role of captain Filippo Carossino, always present since the 2014 Incheon World Championships. Enrico Ghione, Andrea Giaretti, Giulio Maria Papi, Marco Stupenengo ed Ahmed Raourahi, which holds the record of consecutive summons among active players (always present since 2010).
DYNAMIC AND AGGRESSIVE
“I have chosen a team that focuses heavily on dynamism and defensive aggression, elements that currently represent the most used game models by all top national teams such as the United States. Great Britain or Japan, the surprise of the last Paralympics – explained coach Di Giusto on the Fipic website – Obviously without underestimating the great offensive potential linked to the presence of several excellent distance shooters, which can represent a considerable added value especially against zone defenses.”.
Italy will debut on Saturday 4 December at 11.45 against Austria trained by an old acquaintance of our basketball, Malik Abes |. Second match Sunday 5 at 7pm against Israel. Then the match against Turkey on Monday 6 at 15.30, before the match against the world champions Great Britain, on Tuesday 7 at 19. The match against Holland on Wednesday 8 at 11 closes the group stage.
The next day he will leave the knockout stage: quarter-finals among the first 4 of each group, then the semifinals on Friday 10. Saturday 11th final for fifth place, decisive to assign the last slot available for the World Cup. The finals for gold and bronze will take place on Sunday 12 December.
These are the ones called for Cassino’s withdrawal: Sabri Bedzeti (Santo Stefano), Filippo Carossino (Briantea84), Matteo Cavagnini (Amicacci Abruzzo), Enrico Ghione (Santo Stefano), Andrea Giaretti (Santo Stefano), Giulio Maria Papi (Briantea84), Alessandro Pedron (SBS Montello), Ahmed Raourahi (Padua Millennium Basket), Driss Saaid (Briantea84), Davide Schiera (S. Stefano), Marco Stupenengo (Amicacci Abruzzo), Dimitri Tanghe (S. Stefano).
