At the European championships the Palermitan Piume D’Argento marks an important milestone in the history of Italian badminton and brings Sicily back to a continental event after many years of silence.
The birth of the badminton is shrouded in legend. In fact, it seems that around 1860, during a badminton match held at the Duke of Beaufort’s Badminton House, Gloucestershire, someone (perhaps a licensed officer who had played it in India, perhaps the duke’s daughters or, more likely, their friend JL Baldwin, a well-known sportsman and creator of pastimes) has stretched a string from the fireplace to the entrance door of the castle, where the players used to take refuge on days of bad weather, thus creating a rudimentary network.
For the first traces of the badminton in Italy, on the other hand, it is necessary to wait until the 1950s, when this sport it begins to spread both as training for tennis champions and as a simple recreational and formative activity.
Undoubted are the benefits of the game which, although often considered “minor”, now reaches the second place among the most played in the world, immediately after football. It is specifically one sport cardio, great for strengthening the heart and stamina; Furthermore, it increases coordination and fluency in movements and stimulates the team spirit and cognitive functions of the individual, given the need to remember one’s own strategies and predict those of the opponent at a rather fast pace of play. If practiced as children, it increases the spirit of observation and concentration, as well as favoring decision-making autonomy and, consequently, self-confidence.
In short, one sport complete, Olympic discipline since 1992, whose culture is spreading more and more also in Sicily, where 31 sports clubs are members of the Federation. Among these, two are currently playing in the Italian Serie A Championship (next year they will become three with the newly promoted Le Saette Badminton of Misterbianco): the ASD Badminton Club Silver Feathers and the City of Palermo Badminton Club ASDboth managed by the President Paolo Caracausi and coached by Coach Luigi Izzo.
Le Piume, which have their headquarters in Belmonte Mezzagno, inside the gym of IC Emanuele Ventimiglia, took their first steps in 2013, when the Diesse Mediterranea Badminton Cinisi it was forced to close its doors due to lack of funding. Since that moment, the Caracausi squad, made up of Luis Aniello La Rocca, David Salutt, Helina Ruutel, Hannah Pohl and Martin Bundgaard, has made seven appearances in Serie A, reaching, among other things, the play-offs in the last two. years.
This year the team beat the hosts of RA System BC Milan in the semi-finals of the championship held at PalaBadminton in Milan last May 14, but suffered a defeat the following day by SSV Bozen Badminton, which therefore has won the title of Champion of Italy. However, the result obtained still allowed the Silver Feathers to get a seat at the European Club Championshipshosted for this edition in Bialystok, Poland, from 28 June to 2 July 2022.
The Palermitans, who following the resignation of Bozen, found themselves alone to represent Italy among the most noble teams of the Old Continent, were included in Group 4 together with the Icelanders of the Tbr, the Lithuanians of the Badminton Virus of Vilnius and the Norwegians of Kristiansand BK.
The first qualifying round saw the Feathers make history, earning first place in the group with three overwhelming victories over the other teams and flying to the quarter-finals even with one day to spare. Here the Feathersin a heart-pounding clash, they then signed the feat, beating 3 to 2 the strong team of the Czechs of BK 1973 Brantley Nad Jizerou.
The European journey of the Palermo Club unfortunately later stopped in the semifinals, winning the bronze medal, when the French of Chambly Oise, arrived in the final for ten consecutive years, conquered the field 3 to 1.
Le Silver Feathers however, they bring home a result of exceptional importance: in 44 years of the history of the competition, Italy has, in fact, conquered a single podium in 2015, thanks to the third place of BC Milan, without considering that it was nine years that a Sicilian team he did not take part in a European kermesse.
Congratulations, therefore, to our boys and girls who are already looking forward with great determination to the next appointment on the agenda: the Super Series Tournament, which will take place on 17 and 18 September at PalaOreto in Palermo.
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