Twelve teams, coming from all over Abruzzo, but also from outside the region, which animated the “Mastrogiurato Tournament”, organized by Azzurra Basket Lanciano. The inter-regional sporting event has reached its seventh edition and took place in the first part at the “Costa dei trabocchi Sporting Club” in Rocca San Giovanni and in the final part at the Palasport in Lanciano.
The girls from Azzurra Basket, first classified, took part in the event for the women’s Under 15s; Pink Basket Terni, came second; and Yale Pescara and Panthers Roseto. As for the Under 14 men, Intrepida Ortona, Azzurra Basket, Magic Chieti, Angel Manfredonia, Alfa Omega Ostia, Chieti Basket and Virtus Roseto participated: these last two teams gave life to an exciting final in which the boys of Roseto defeated the Theatines, winning first place and, therefore, the Anxa Cup.
This is how the Azzurra Basket season got underway, enriched with several new features. As far as preparers are concerned, the pillars of the various movements have been confirmed: from the mini-basketball with Anna Maria Di Rocco, to the men’s youth with Mauro Di Matteo and women’s with Jacopo Pardi. The sporting director Marco D’addario has made several grafts in the staff: the first bears the name of Benedetto Salomone who will lead the first team in the championship of D, flanked by coach Giorgio Rosito. The physical area of the entire movement will be under the responsibility of Giuseppe Aimola. The instructors Maria Cicala, Francesco Frattura, Stefania Mattioli, Fabrizia Zulli are also at work.
The management staff is also made up of the minibasket manager Giuseppe Di Foglio; the head of youth teams Antonio Luciani, and the head of the women’s sector Patrizio Pardi.
“It is a tournament – declares the president of Azzurra, Ezio Grappasonno – which allows children to compete on the field and socialize with their peers, but also to measure their preparation”. A touching moment was the one in which Marco Lombardi, general manager of Azzurra, spoke of Fabio Pasquini, from Treglio, who tragically died, at the age of 31, in 2020 in a road accident on state road 16 in Fossacesia. At the time he was captain of a basketball team. “This year – explained Lombardi – we wanted to remember this athlete, with a Memorial named after him”. Present Pasquini’s wife, Katia Di Biase and daughter Perla.
