The Italian national basketball team for Down athletes is world champion for the third time in a row – Corriere.it

No one like them ever. The best ever: basketball wears blue once again.

Three consecutive times on the roof of the world something that goes beyond the ordinary, enters the dimension of legend while still in history.

Let’s do this, just to understand better, let’s put in line what has happened in the last five editions of the European and World Championships, with Portugal always the stage for the blue performance: 2017, Vila Nova de Gaia, European Champions; 2018, Madeira, World Champions; 2019, Guimares, World Champions; 2021, Madeira, European Champions; 2022, Funchal, World Champions.

Each year a victory, each final a success, each competition a gold medal.

The Italian national basketball team for athletes with Down syndrome, organized by Fisdir (the Federation that deals with sport for those with intellectual and / or relational disabilities), won its third consecutive world title, dominating the final with Hungary , measure 36 to 12.

Italy’s all-time statistics at the World Cup are insane. Games played: 12. Wins: 11.
Defeats: 1. Points scored: 380. Points suffered: 152.

In Italy we have the Stephen Curry of basketball players with Down syndrome.

In his second world championship, he was once again the best scorer: Davide Paulisstar of the Oristano team, scored 55 points total and 20 in the final with Hungary.

All were decisive for a victory that made Italy enter the history of basketball, not only for those with Down syndrome: Fabio Tomao (10 total points), Alessandro Greco (22), Andrea Rebichini (10), Alex Cesca (7), Francesco Leocata (23), Lorenzo Puliga (2) and Chiara Vingione (6), the only woman on the roster.

A fantastic group, I have to thank everyone for what they have given on and off the pitch: Giuliano Buffagni, 46 years old, computer technician as a job, coach that the world envies us for passion, the architect of these successes, lived knowing how to fly over the difficulties that the Paralympic sport, and that for athletes with Down syndrome in particular, every day lies ahead: Our work comes from the territory, in the clubs scattered throughout Italy, with technicians and players with whom I am always in contact. Then we get together at the various rallies before the competitions.

He tells shortly after the celebrations made by a walk along the promenade and an ice cream all together, before the early dinner on the way back to Italy in the night: We are a team that makes the group its strength. In this edition of the World Cup there were not some of the architects of the previous successes, but the new ones were just as good. the success of the group and not of individuals, as always.

The Azzurri had begun to dominate right from the matches of their qualifying round towards the final: first with the victory for 31 to 14 over Hungary, also faced in the final; then with Saudi Arabia for 58 to 6. In the semifinals they beat the hosts of Portugal for 20 to 14.

The final was a triumph for Buffagni’s team, even if at the start they had to recover the 6 to 2 for Hungary, closing the first half ahead 15 to 8 up to the final score of 36 to 12. With Buffagni, leading from The national team bench are Francesca D’Erasmo and Mauro Dess: I feared Hungary, even more so after having measured their value in the first match of the World Cup. As a result of our challenge, they presented themselves today with countermeasures and at first they surprised us. We have read the game well, thanks also to the technical support of Francesca D’Erasmo and Mauro Dess, providing information to our players on how to attack their opponents. The players have received great and as soon as we took the break, we also relaxed. We played very well, as I wanted, and I’m happy to be able to use everyone in the final as well. This is the third World title, certainly the best because there were many valuable teams. I am very happy, a great satisfaction and I could not want more.