Martinsicuro hosts Italian Para-archery Target Championships

Martinsicuro Crowning Champions at National Para-Archery Championships

At the Stadio Comunale “Alberto Tommolini” in Martinsicuro, the Italian Para-Archery Target Championships concluded with the awarding of national titles across the Visually Impaired, W1, Compound, and Ricurvo divisions. Organized by Arcieri il Delfino with backing from the FITARCO Abruzzo regional committee, Sportivamente Insieme, and the municipal administration of Martinsicuro, the competition served as the final outdoor test of the season for Italy’s top archers ahead of international fixtures in 2027 that will distribute the initial quota places for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. National team athletes contested numerous matches for the tricolor podium, resulting in national titles for Davide Bettoni and Elisabetta Mijno in the ricurvo, Christian Seneca and Maria Andrea Virgilio in the compound, Maurizio Panella and Daila Dameno in the W1, and Emma Paoloni and Michele Biisecchi among the Visually Impaired.

Davide Bettoni Wins Second National Ricurvo Title

The men’s ricurvo tournament featured a clash between the reigning European team champions from Rome 2026: Stefano Travisani of the Gruppo Sportivo Paralimpico della Difesa and Davide Bettoni of the Fiamme Gialle. Bettoni secured a tight 6-4 victory over world champion Travisani to capture his second career national title following his 2024 triumph. In the bronze medal match, young Gabriel De Toffoli of Arcieri del Piave edged out defending champion Giuseppe Verzini of Arcieri Cormons in a shoot-off ending 6-5 (8+-8). In the women’s bracket, Elisabetta Mijno of Arcieri delle Alpi defeated national teammate Vincenza Petrilli of Fiamme Oro 6-0 to claim her 12th absolute Italian title and her ninth crown. Silvia Sapo of Arco Club Pontino took third place with a 6-4 win against Elisabetta Petris of Arcieri Cormons. Petris and Verzini rebounded later in the mixed team final, where Arcieri Cormons defeated Arcieri delle Alpi 6-0, while Arcieri Ugo di Toscana claimed the bronze medal.

Christian Seneca and Maria Andrea Virgilio Claim Compound Titles

Christian Seneca of Kappa Kosmos Rovereto earned his first career absolute national title in the men’s compound division by defeating Lorenzo Schieda of P.H.B. 133-131. Giampaolo Cancelli of Fiamme Oro secured the bronze medal with a narrow 133-132 victory over Gabriele Saccoman of Arcieri Padovani. On the women’s side, Maria Andrea Virgilio of Fiamme Azzurre claimed her seventh absolute Italian title by overcoming national teammate Irene Picci of Arcieri Padovani 138-133 with a strong finish. Letizia Visintini of Arcieri Cormons took the bronze medal by defeating Gloria Lorenzetti 138-126. In the men’s team compound event, Kosmos Rovereto representatives Seneca and Powroznik captured the club’s first-ever national title in the discipline by beating P.H.B. 145-141, while Frecce Azzurre claimed the bronze.

Maurizio Panella Wins Second National W1 Title

The men’s W1 final brought together two athletes from the Gruppo Sportivo Paralimpico della Difesa: European champion Paolo Tonon and European silver medalist Maurizio Panella. Panella secured his second national title after his 2024 victory by defeating defending champion Tonon 139-137. Francesco Maria Sorato of Fiamme Azzurre took third place with a 119-108 win over Gabriele Ferrandi of Arcieri Aurora. Angela Procida of Frecce Azzurre earned the bronze medal. In the women’s W1 division, Daila Dameno of Arcieri Ugo di Toscana marked a major return following an injury by securing her first absolute national title with a 114-89 victory in the final over Simona Canipari of Prodesenzano; like Dameno, Canipari reached archery after a top-level international career in handbike. Martinsicuro marked Dameno’s first outdoor national championship, following her debut at the winter indoor national championship where she had surprisingly won the Italian title. In the Visually Impaired 1 category for non-sighted athletes, Emma Paoloni claimed her first absolute Italian title.