“We will be at HaBaWaBa because waterpolo belongs to everybody”. Mario Giugliano is speaking, he’s coach of the National Paralympic waterpolo team of Italy, which will return to the Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro on Sunday, June 23rd, for an exhibition game in front of the little athletes of HaBaWaBa. The event is organized by Waterpolo Development councillor Emanuele Zanatta: the kick-off set for 9:30 a.m.
The target is the same as a year ago, when Paralympic waterpolo players played a game during the HaBaWaBa. “We aim to promote our sport in an international scenario – Giugliano said – at HaBaWaBa there will be more than a hundred teams coming from 5 continents, it’s a dream to show what FINP (the Italian Paralympic Swimming Federation, ed.) has come to and to get us recognized internationally as well”.
The goal of the Paralympic waterpolo movement is to expand until it can reach the Paralympics: Italy and FINP are the pioneers of this sport, last weekend the finals of the 4th Italian League, won by the GLS Napoli Lions, were played with 10 teams participating. In the last year the number of athletes has increased from 120 to 180. “Paralympic waterpolo is spreading like wildfire: as HaBaWaBa have also proven, when you throw a ball in the water it’s hard to resist… We work for the 5 Olympic circles: in Italy the movement is growing and Spain is emerging. From what we know paralympic waterpolo is also played in the US, Australia and Great Britain, but something is happening in Eastern Europe. HaBaWaBa is a very important opportunity for us, we will show a young audience that loves waterpolo that sport can break down every barrier”.
The Paralympic waterpolo National team of Italy’s players which will be at HaBaWaBa: Marvin Menini, Cesare Pisati (Columbus), Cesare Andina, Natassa Seidic, Simone Basti (Crazy Waves), Antonio Acunzo, Rossella Izzo (Dhea Sport), Fabio Cozzuto, Marco Aliberti, Marco Franzoni, Niccolò Gobbetti, VIncenzo Palumbo, Luigi Paola, Salvatore Pentangelo, Stefano Rollo (GLS Napoli Lions), Andrea Gallone, Andrea Lobba, Sofia Perlo (Granda), Lorenzo Alibrandi, Matteo Cecconi, Riccardo Collacciani, Assunta Galiè (Lazio), Niccolo Di Gangi, Federico Fattori, Cesare Nocera, Federico Mazinghi (Florentia). Coaches: Mario Giugliano (head coach) e Salvatore Figuccio (assistant coach).
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