Dubai is tinged with blue. In fact, the Italian Paralympic National Team has landed in the United Arab Emirates, where it will experience a rather anomalous World Championship, considering that we are still in the middle of winter, but it will take place outdoors over long distances, just like at the Paralympic Games. That’s right: the world championship competition is outdoor. And it could not be otherwise, given that in Dubai, at this time of year, temperatures fluctuate between 16 and 25 degrees centigrade.
Compared to Tokyo, however, in addition to the curved open, compound open and W1 categories, there is also the category of “blind” visually impaired, as already happened in the 2019 world championship.
A novelty that will be seen for the first time in Dubai concerns the team competition: the change of regulation wanted by World Archery foresees the debut of the male and female “double”. In practice, instead of trios as was the case until last year, in the United Arab Emirates we will see only two athletes of the same sex on the field to represent their national team in the team trial. This competition will flank the mixed team competition which, already practiced for several years, has been included in the Paralympics program instead of the “old” team competition starting from Rio 2016.
THE PROTAGONISTS
The blue expedition is made up of sixteen athletes and includes both the holders and medalists of Tokyo, and the new elements who need to increase their international experience in view of Paris 2024 too. Stefano Travisani (Fiamme Azzurre) will go to the shooting line. Giuseppe Verzini (Arcieri Cormons), Elisabetta Mijno (Fiamme Azzurre), Veronica Floreno (Dyamond Archery Palermo) and Vincenza Petrilli (Fiamme Oro) in the Olympic open arc; Matteo Bonacina (Archers of the Alps), Giampaolo Cancelli (Archers Voghera), Giulia Pesci (Archers Ardivestra), Eleonora Sarti (Fiamme Azzurre) and Maria Andrea Virgilio (Fiamme Azzurre) in the open compound; Gabriele Ferrandi (Arcieri Ardivestra), Salvatore Demetric (Dyamond Archery Palermo) and Asia Pellizzari (Archers of the Castle) in W1. And, as mentioned, there will also be blind athletes, in the Visually Impaired category, with Matteo Panariello (Arcieri Livornesi), Giovanni Maria Vaccaro (Dyamond Archery Palermo) and Daniele Piran (Arco Club Bolzano Vicentino).
Leading the Italian group will be the technical manager, Guglielmo Fuchsova, the technicians Antonio Tosco and Fabio Fuchsova, the psychologist Gianni Bonas, the physiotherapist Chiara Barbi and the guide for Visually Impaired, Adriano Peruffo.
THE PROGRAM
Dubai is the first international appointment of 2022 and follows the Italian Indoor Para-Archery Championships, staged in Macerata. «We want to be competitive – declared“ Willy ”Fuchsova just before the start -. Many will want redemption after the Tokyo Paralympics. Even among our blues. A special thanks goes to the Federation, which is always close to us. There is no lack of prerequisites for doing well ».
It starts today, Tuesday 22 February, with the 72 ranking round arrows dedicated to the compound division that determine the scoreboard of the individual and team direct matches, which will be played tomorrow, Wednesday 23. Thursday 24 February space for 72 qualifying arrows for recurvo, W1 and Visually Impaired. Friday 25 in the morning space for the individual and team eliminations of the Olympic and W1 until the semifinals and, in the afternoon, there will be the finals that assign the podiums of the compound. Saturday 26th elimination day dedicated to the VI and W1 finals, while Sunday 27th February ends with the preliminary rounds and then individual and team finals of the recurvo.
