Tuesday evening will certainly not have escaped the residents of Via Crimea, a usually deserted street except for the moments of entry and exit of the local high schools, for what was happening inside the Provincial ITIS Bellini gymnasium.
In other times it would have been a “simple” Youth basketball championship match, but in fact this year the clash between Basket College Novara and Novara Basket, the two city teams, has become “IL DERBY” or that match between two teams from the same city which is always worth much more than the two points up for grabs.
So, suddenly, in Novara, just as it happens in the most noble and noble cities of this sport, a game appears with a lot of spectators of “great occasions”.
The two teams face each other in the Under 19Gold championship, the maximum regional expression, and field young athletes born 2004-2005-2006, in short, the antechamber of the respective first teams, with the last few years of finishing pending who will be called to to play in the leagues of the first senior teams in the future. Here then it happens that the friends and companions of the athletes on the field, the families of the players of the other younger teams and the neighborhood, historical enthusiasts, all meet in the same stands of a school gymnasium “only” for a basketball game .
«We honestly didn’t believe our eyes – says the President of Basket College Novara Andrea Delconte – however unusual it was what was happening: with the start of the match we realized that with the stands now packed, other people continued to enter again, so much so that several had to settle for watching the match standing up. In the end we estimated about 400 spectators, in short, for the type of match, let’s say a real event».
«Regardless, it was above all a beautiful match – adds the Ex Desio coach Gabriele Cassina but now he too has fallen 100% into reality College Novara – in an even more beautiful audience of both fans which, even in times of difficulty and tiredness, gave both teams the strength to find the necessary energies. We in particular demonstrated for almost the entire game the hard work we’ve been doing with the boys in the gym since the beginning of the year and not only from a technical or tactical point of view but also from a character point of view. We have thus shown that we have character to spare, the desire to fight and face obstacles all together, like a real team, ready to sacrifice ourselves for a teammate. I’m very satisfied with this, and of course with the victory and the consolidation of second place in the standings».
«This unexpected experience really makes us think – concludes the President DelConte – it is true that unity is strength, but even a healthy parochialism can sometimes help to grow the passion for sport, creating a real movement in the city. As happened at the birth of our youth project, just over 3 years ago. Today, with the advent of our first team in Serie C, moreover with an average age of 18 as a terminal, and the constant growth of all sectors of our activities, we think we have contributed decisively to the rebirth of sport in Novara of basketball, finally a concrete answer to Novara basketball enthusiasts of all ages.»
On the match, exciting, open and fought like all self-respecting derbies, little to add except the final result of 59-51 for College Novara against Novara Basket. This time though, because it’s a derby, you know.
Who knows next time….
