Baskin, the inclusive basketball variant uniting players with and without disabilities on the same court, took center stage at the City of Trieste’s municipal stand during the opening days of the Barcolana Village in Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia. The discipline arrived in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy back in 2018 and has since expanded to 18 local clubs, with four operating directly within Trieste.
Elisa Lodi Opens Municipal Stand at Barcolana Village
Municipal sports officials hosted a dedicated panel discussion at the exhibition space to highlight how baskin merges athletic competition with strict parity of treatment among teammates. The municipal stand officially opened in the afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Elisa Lodi, the municipal assessor for sports and real estate assets, alongside Everest Bertoli, the assessor for financial policies.
Lodi delivered opening remarks on behalf of Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, outlining three core themes for the municipal pavilion at the 2026 Barcolana Village: sports, public budgets, and EUROPE DIRECT Trieste. Lodi noted that the city intends to highlight its investments in local athletic infrastructure, pointing to upgrades across more than 120 municipal sports facilities available to local clubs and residents.
Trieste Club Representatives Detail Baskin Expansion
The municipal panel drew key figures from across the Trieste basketball community. Attendees included Elisa Lodi alongside Massimo Tognolli, the municipal assessor for social policies. Representatives from three local baskin organizations shared insights into the sport’s growth: All In Trieste, represented by technical manager Nello Laezza and Andrea Monticolo, president of the supporting Fondazione Monticolo&Foti; Interclub Muggia, represented by president Fabio Vallon and player Giorgio Iurkic; and Basket4Trieste, represented by board member and minibasket coordinator Donatella Otta alongside coach Giacomo Suerzi Stefanin.
Discussion during the panel emphasized that baskin structures its rules to ensure absolute equality and accessibility among all participants regardless of physical ability. The sport maintains a competitive edge while engaging with local schools to drive participation across age groups and genders.
Everest Bertoli Details Municipal Debt Reduction and Spending
Alongside athletic programming, Everest Bertoli used the municipal stand to address the city’s financial trajectory. Bertoli stated that municipal public debt decreased from 140 million euros in 2016 to 20 million euros by 2025. He further detailed that the municipality allocates nearly 500 million euros annually toward social services and territorial policies to support local families and community infrastructure.
The municipal pavilion also houses the EUROPE DIRECT Trieste desk, providing citizens with information regarding European Union policies and opportunities. The space remains open throughout the Barcolana Village event schedule to host press conferences, present upcoming weekend sports events, and facilitate direct dialogue between local administration agencies and the public.
Worth a look
