The XXXIX edition of the Italian Indoor Para-Archery Championships, which took place at the Palasport in Lamezia Terme, ended with the assignment of the overall podiums. The event was organized by ASD Aida, with the support of the Municipality of Lamezia, the FITARCO Calabria Regional Committee and the CIP Calabria.
The matches for the overall podium were hard fought to say the least and if in some cases the defending champions managed to confirm the tricolour, at the end of the challenges there were also some new entry in the event’s roll of honor.
VISUALLY IMPAIRED – The Visually Impaired category, merged into a single category between blind and visually impaired people, decreed the sixth career victory for the Italian Daniele Piran (Arco Club Bolzano Vicentino) who got the better of Emma Paoloni (Arcieri del Medio Chienti) in the final 7-1. Bronze for Anna Varriale (Arcieri Lucani Potenza) who beat the defending champion Michele Biisecchi (Arcieri Ugo di Toscana) 7-3.
W1 – In the women’s W1 the athlete from Prodesenzano, Simona Canipari, with a convincing performance, obtained the indoor title for the first time, overcoming the defending champion Asia Pellizzari (Fiamme Oro) 139-135, while third place went to Angela Procida (Frecce Azzurre) who beat Chiara Alberti (AGA) 131-102.
Beautiful head-to-head in the men’s final between club and national team mates, Maurizio Panella and Paolo Tonon. The match between the athlete from Lazio and the one from Veneto, both bearers of the Paralympic Defense Sports Group, remained in balance until the last arrow. Tonon, who yesterday had obtained the world record on 60 arrows with 589 points, after three consecutive tricolors gave way to Panella who, with an almost perfect match, won narrowly 147-146, writing his name in the event’s roll of honor for the first time. Third place for Francesco Maria Sorato (Frecce Azzurre), fourth Carmine Lettieri (GSPD).
COMPOUND – There was also a first time in the women’s compound. It is that of Irene Picci (Arcieri Padovani) who takes the scepter away from the winner of the last two editions, Giulia Pesci (GSPD) at the end of a hard-fought challenge which was resolved only after the playoff arrow. The five volleys end at 141-141: in the shoot off Irene Picci’s 9 is closer to the center of the target than Giulia Pesci’s 9 and is worth the absolute gold. Bronze for Letizia Visintini (Arcieri Cormons) who prevails 138-135 over Melissa Forcina (Arco Club Terracina).
In the men’s category, the title challenge was a remake of the 2025 final between the defending champion Giampaolo Cancelli (PHB) and Christian Seneca (Kosmos Rovereto). The outcome of the challenge is the same as in 2025, the athlete from Bergamo achieves the tricolor winning 143-141, thus obtaining his 7th overall indoor title. Third place goes to Fabio Cappellazzo (Arcieri San Donà di Piave) beating Massimo Addio (GSPD) 144-141.
For Cancelli, the satisfaction of winning the men’s doubles title with PHB together with Lorenzo Schieda. The Bergamo team beat the Frecce Azzure (Farewell, Contemi) 148-136 in the final. Bronze for Kosmos Rovereto (Powroznik, Seneca).
RECURVED – In the women’s recurve, yet another final between Elisabetta Mijno (Arcieri delle Alpi) and the “home” athlete Vincenza Petrilli (Fiamme Oro). Also in this case the final had the same outcome as the last two editions. The match is balanced until the second set; in the third Mijno takes it to 4-2 and in the fourth volley, when Petrilli would have the opportunity to take it to 4-4, she pays for a hesitation which the opponent makes the most of by obtaining the final 6-2 which is also worth the 14th tricolor for the Piedmontese athlete. Bronze medal for Simona Serani (Arcieri Ugo di Toscana) who beat Roberta Tempone (Arcieri La Fenice Viggiano) 6-4.
In the men’s category, the first overall title arrived for Davide Bettoni who, after winning the class title yesterday, with a convincing performance won the final against his national teammate and reigning world champion Stefano Travisani (GSPD). The match continues in perfect balance until the third set. Bettoni, who wore the Fiamme Gialle shirt for the first time, took the lead to 5-3 after the fourth set and in the fifth volley he then managed to take the scepter of Italian champion away from Travisani, closing the match 7-3 with a 29-28. Third place for Stefano Tinti (Arcieri Brigata Feltria) who beat Giuseppe Verzini (Arcieri Cormons) 6-4.
With these results, the first FITARCO federal event of the 2026 season has come to an end, which certainly gave important ideas to the technical staff of the Paralympic national team, present at the Palasport in Lamezia Terme with the recurve coach Giorgio Botto and the compound coach Stefano Mazzi who from 28 April to 3 May will be involved with the Azzurri in the key event of the season, the European Para-Archery Championships which will be held again in Rome after the edition of 2024.
