The Technical Director of the National Wheelchair Basketball Team Carlo Di Giusto has made official the list of twelve athletes called up for the next European Championships, scheduled in Madrid from 4 to 12 December. Five new faces compared to the 2019 European Championships, the last official commitment of the blue group before the year of stop due to pandemic.
This is the list of athletes who will find themselves in training camp in Cassino on 25 November and until 1 December, the eve of the departure for Spain (where the debut is set for 4 December, against Austria).
Sabri Bedzeti (S. Stefano)
Filippo Carossino (Briantea84)
Matteo Cavagnini (Friends Abruzzo)
Enrico Ghione (S. Stefano)
Andrea Giaretti (S. Stefano)
Giulio Maria Papi (Briantea84)
Alessandro Pedron (SBS Montello)
Ahmed Raourahi (Padova Millennium Basket)
Driss Saaid (Briantea84)
Davide Schiera (S. Stefano)
Marco Stupenengo (Amicacci Abruzzo)
Dimitri Tanghe (S. Stefano)
The former captain Matteo Cavagnini returns to the blue after more than six years from the last official appearance, absent from the European Championships in Worcester in 2015 (beyond the brackets of the All Star Game in February 2016). Absolute debut in international competitions for Driss Saaid, Alessandro Pedron and Dimitri Tanghe, veteran of Serie A in S. Stefano jersey, Belgian by birth, fresh from an Italian passport. Davide Schiera returns to the group, after the cut on the eve of the 2019 European Championships.
Confirmed in the role of captain Filippo Carossino, always present with the jersey of the senior national team since the 2014 Incheon World Championships. Always present in the calls of coach Di Giusto, since the start of his second cycle on the blue bench in 2017, also Enrico Ghione, Andrea Giaretti, Giulio Maria Papi, Marco Stupenengo and Ahmed Raourahi, who holds the record of consecutive calls among active players (always present since 2010).
“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 USA, GBR or Japan, the surprise of the latest Paralympics.”Says coach Carlo Di Giusto. “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.”.
The European Championships in Madrid will give away five slots to participate in the 2022 World Championships, scheduled in Dubai.
Fipic Press Office on the cover the blue captain Filippo Carossino
