San Polo He passed away at the age of 81 Vittorio Margini, founder, president and point of reference of Sampolese Basket. A family history developed around him which accompanied the birth and growth of basketball in San Polo and Val d’Enza, with the contribution of his wife Maresa Cervi and his children Andrea and Anna Giulia. «His passion, his vision and his constant commitment have traced the path that we still follow today – we read in a note from Sampolese Basket – The company joins in the pain of the family and of those who knew and respected him. We remember him as a good, dutiful and kind person, who for all of us remains an important reference and an example of dedication.” The Italian Basketball Federation of Reggio Emilia also wanted to remember his commitment.
«Our dear fellow citizen Vittorio Margini has left us who, thanks to his passion for San Polo and its young people, contributed to writing a piece of history of our country – says the mayor Franco Palù – Thanks to his idea of sports associations he was a point of reference for many young people and families from Sampole; in 2016 when he was awarded for 30 years of activity, he reiterated his vision of sport as an educational path and training aimed at the physical, moral, civil and social growth of young people. With this vision and dedication, Vittorio, forty years ago, together with his family, was the protagonist of the birth and growth of basketball in San Polo and Val d’Enza. With great enthusiasm and prudence he led the Sampolise club, increasing participation and achieving great sporting results, leading the San Polo team to promotion to the regional Serie C in 2012-13.”
In 1986 there was no basketball activity in San Polo and Vittorio Margini together with Maresa and Sandro Musi they started in the gym with four 6-7 year old childrenthe. After two months there were 22 children. In 1987 the official activity began. In 1998 the first team to emerge from the youth team went to the 2nd divisionin 1999 in the 1st division. «When we started – Vittorio Margini told the Gazzetta in 2016 when he received the award dedicated to the memory of Giacomo Piccinini – the objective was to combine our great sporting passion and the desire to make this magnificent sport known (the most beautiful in the world) with the belief that sport itself represents a very valid educational and training path aimed at the physical, moral, civil and social growth of young people». The group leader Giuseppe Ragni remembered him with a long message. «Vittorio was a person who lived in the country, participated in public life by making himself available. Vittorio’s great gift, however, will remain what he was able to build and manage as long as he had the strength, that is, the Sampolese basketball movement and above all minibasketball. Together with his wife Maresa, he created a youth sector over 40 years ago, whose mission has never been just to train players, but to raise kids by teaching them to be respectful and aware of the values of sport and being together. Hundreds of young and very young people, male and female, of different generations have passed under his guidance with the possibility of approaching a sport to be experienced, also and above all, as personal growth. There are truly many people from Sampole who had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Vittorio when they entered a gym for the first time as children and then found themselves after years as parents accompanying their children to the same gym. Vittorio was an educator rather than an instructor for the kids, and although he never made the competitive outcome his only goal, his “basketball beliefs” did not prevent him from having great satisfaction and results on a sporting level. Now it will be really difficult, or perhaps impossible, to enter our gym and see a kid with a basketball in his hand, hear the sound of the ball dribbling on the floor without thinking for a moment of you.” The funeral will take place today starting at 10am from the Pontenovo retirement home for the Church of the Castle of S. Polo d’Enza. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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