They are Piera Tocchetti, Roberta Brenzone, Edvidio Milani and Denis Passador
All members of the Badminton & Croquet Club Lecco, they won the Air Badminton match together with the other Azzurri present at the tournament
LECCO – Also four blue-sky athletes from Badminton & Croquet Club Lecco took part in the European Senior Championship 2022 of Badminton in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I’m Piera Tocchetti, Roberta Brenzone, Edvidio Milani e Denis Passador to have represented Italy, together with sixteen other athletes, during the continental competition.
From 7 to 13 August, the 1,089 players of the 33 nations present at the tournament competed in the imposing Arena Dvorana Center Stožice, equipped with 12 competition fields and 6 warm up fields on the lower floor of the structure, divided into the different categories +35 + 40 +45 +50 +55 +60 +65 +70 +75 and in the five disciplines men’s singles (MS), women’s singles (WS), men’s doubles (DM), women’s doubles (DW) and mixed doubles (DX).
For Piera Tocchetti and Edvidio Milani it was the European debut. Veterans of the event instead Roberta Brenzone and Denis Passador, also veterans of a participation in the world championship in Huelva 2021 in Spain.
Excellent performance by Milani in the men’s single +55, where he manages to beat the Austrian Andreas Wailzer in two sets, winning the next round with the partial 21-18 / 21-11. The blue-sky athlete during the match fielded all the technique learned fromcoach of B&CC Lecco Alessandro Redaellipresent at the continental competition as Team Manager of the Italian Badminton Federation.
Unfortunately, however, Milani will have to surrender to the blows of the German Holger Wippich (5-21 / 8-21) who will stop his race in the category challenge. Together with Piera Tocchetti in DX +50 instead, the two from Lecco did not have favorable draws, finding themselves against the experienced Swedish couple Erik Ferenius and Marina Karstrom, classified 5th in this edition of the European Championships.
The other women’s and men’s doubles races did not have better results: Denis Passador and Roberta Brenzone +55 fought against Michel Bachtiar (SWE) and Berit Thyness (NOR) failing to overcome the round, while Piera Tocchetti with Sandra Gargano (15Zero BC), who had been suffering from a problem in her right shoulder for days and retired in the singles match, met the French Nathalie Chapat and Marie Noelle Lechalupe (category +50).
In the +55 category Roberta Brenzone with Sara Maschesini (CUS Bergamo) lost the first set 21-18 against the German Annette Steger and Martina Tusche. Despite this first defeat, decided by very few unfavorable episodes, the two won the second set with a very clear result of 10-21 which fueled the hopes for the changeover. Unfortunately the third set saw the Germans 21-13 prevail.
Finally, Edvidio Milani with Alessandro Bizzotto (15Zero BC) confronted the Finns Jari Erikkson and Tarmo Martikainen +55 and Denis Passador with Flavio Bettoni (CUS Bergamo) against the French Stephane Defraye with Sounthone Schuller +55, unfortunately without passing the round . In the women’s single Piera Tocchetti instead met the Estonian Maria Alajoe who won 21-7 / 21-15.
Nearly the feat in the men’s singles category +55 Denis Passadorrisking beating the favorite and very strong Austrian Ernst Liska during 25 intense and hard-fought minutes of the game, which finally saw Liska prevail with a score of 21-14 / 21-18.
Out of category but also present on the fields of the event the famous British Beryl Goodall, class of ’42 and world champion +75 in 2019, an example of infinite love for sport and pleasant to admire while expressing her talent.
For all the blue-bearers, the European Championship proved to be a fantastic experience, made even more memorable with the victory of the promotional competition of Air Badminton.
Badminton courses and training will resume in September again in the gym in Via Ghislanzoni in Lecco. For information: [email protected]
