Although there are events that marked the history of Eldoradense basketball in the ’70s, ’80s and even ’90s, without a doubt what happened in 2003 marked a before and after in the discipline in the Capital of Labor.
The first months of 2003 were passing when several Eldoradense basketball leaders met around a small table and they analyzed the steps to follow so as not to lose the possibility of playing a national tournament again after the consecration of the El Coatí club in the Provincial Club League the previous year.
This is how Julio Amarilla, Juan Vallejos, Roberto Gutiérrez, “Cacho” Riecken, among others, came to the conclusion that Coatí had to merge with Tirica to face what until then was the National League C. This is how a milestone for Eldoradense and missionary basketball was born: The ABE (Eldorado Basketball Alliance).
Today marks twenty years since said team achieved promotion to the National League B and marked that before and after for the sport of the Capital of Labor, which gathered crowds and captured the attention of the entire province.
With Horacio Santa Cruz at the helm, accompanied on the coaching staff by “Miguelito” Romberg and Gustavo “Taito” Bordon, the excitement began with the formation of the squad.
To the spoiled locals and great promises such as Fernando “La Furia” Pimenta, Carlitos Kohler, “Charly” Meaurio and several youth players who had just emerged such as Cristian Diesel, Franco Gutiérrez, Andrés Paredes, “Manu” Julián, the leadership began to listen to the requests from DT to have a competitive team with experience in the category.
They signed an emblem of the red land as Raúl “Polaco” Tarnowyk (exLuz y Fuerza), as well as the young Damián Sureda and great talents like Silvio Ojeda and Hugo Benítez. And the icing on the cake was the arrival of someone who would become another Eldoradense: Entre Ríos native Aldo Daniel González. The native of Rocamora would become the idol of adults and children and would leave his mark, which is felt to this day in the Capital of Labor.
The debut in the aforementioned Regional took place in Las Breñas, Chaco, and there the first pages of this history of the ABE began to be written within the play rectangles. The victory in the premiere was the first of eight in a row and the enthusiasm of an entire town grew with each victory.
In the middle of the tournament, and seeing the fury of the ABE more than strengthened, the municipal government, with Norberto Aguirre at the helm, lent a hand so that the stadium could be remodeled.. In a short time, the CEBA tile floor was left behind and gave way to the ABE parquet. And in that charming setting the consecration was going to come.
The Alliance reached the final and had to define the champion with Villa San Martin de Resistencia. The series started badly, because an unexpected setback came in Chaco lands, but the team’s characteristics and determination managed to reverse history.
On Friday, September 26, 2003, the missionary team managed to even the series and stretched the definition the next day.
Anxiety and expectation were gaining ground and a crowd was setting the stage for the party as soon as the afternoon of Saturday, September 27, began. Nobody wanted to be left out and that’s why the stadium exploded, and the protagonists did not disappoint.
It was a beating with a difference of 20 points against a Villa that resigned ahead of time and handed the celebration to the missionaries.
“Give him champion, give him champion!!” began to be heard with minutes remaining. The board went out marking the end and everyone joined in a hug to celebrate that achievement for Eldorado.
THE TEAM. ABE in 2003, the team that achieved promotion to League B.
It was without a doubt the “click” for Eldoradense basketball to come back to life and become an important place for the province and the Region.
Today each club that formed that merger has its own stadium, while the ABE and the two modern municipal sports centers were also continued.
THE BAND. The team’s progress was gaining followers game by game. For the history
The squad that made history was made up of Damián Sureda, Enzo Mereles, Carlos Meaurio, Franco Gutiérrez, Fernando Pimenta, Silvio Ojeda, Aldo González, Manuel Julián, Cristian Diesel, Raúl Tarnowyk, Hugo Benítez and Carlos Kohler. Andrés Paredes and even Miguel Romberg himself also participated, who was encouraged to play a couple of games and declare his official retirement from professional basketball.
2023-09-27 10:18:52
#day #ABE #history
