An idea that started at the table, but in the homeland of DOC wines and Slow Food it could only be born in this way, two noble clubs of local basketball, the Olympus Basket Alba and the Abet Basket Team 71 decide to make a common front and get together, a synergy on an area of 90,000 inhabitants to push local basketball up.
The baptism of this new basketball reality was also able to boast two exceptional testimonials Amedeo Della Valle, born in basketball in Alba and Giancarlo Ferrero who grew up in the youth academy of Bra, both in video took part in the presentation of the project supporting him.
The president Tiziana Raspo and Edoardo Bergui young emerging GM who coordinate this new partnership will briefly illustrate this.
“We started in June of last year, there had already been some contacts between the two clubs, previously more at a youth level, to promote local youth and further enhance basketball in the area. The pandemic situation that has generated many economic and social difficulties has obviously not spared the sports clubs and has accelerated this process. The project aims to bring together economic and professional resources to give greater impetus to the basketball movement in the area. shoulders (Alba and Bra in fact). When you put together what works best on both sides, you are sure you can count on a solid structure and a larger basin. “
How did the team name come about?
“Langhe and Roero is a real brand that sums up our partnership very well, Alba in fact is the most important city in the Langhe and Bra as well as in Roero, two territories that are increasingly enjoying international fame also from a tourist point of view. For the creation of the logo we made reference to the new rules, much simpler, the two main letters indicated that capture the attention, the basic idea is to give a strong message and an element of novelty. “
Was the choice of the playing field made with this in mind as well?
“The building in Corneliano d’Alba is in fact barycentric with respect to the two cities, but it is a structure that Olympus Basket had been using for some years, the Pala Langhe, the historic home of the Albese club, in fact, it was not approved under the new directives for the C1 series, the leap in category forced the search for a new structure. Thanks to an agreement with the municipality of Corneliano we have obtained the management of this system which has been modernized, (for example the chosen parquet which is the same used in Bormio and many other interventions). To date, the structure is fully managed by us, therefore also available for the entire youth sector, plus it is in a very strategic position easily reachable both from Bra and Alba in a short time. “
What are the senior teams that are part of this project?
“In addition to the first team that plays in Serie B, we have a second satellite club in Serie C Silver that plays at the Palazzetto di Bra. The players are all members of Langhe and Roero Basket and come from both realities.We have numerous youth teams, some play in Elite leagues (for example the under 17 Gold, and the under 15 made up of a mix of players from the two realities ) and all the women’s youth teams that play league matches in La Morra. Women’s basketball actually paved the way for the project as it was the first to inaugurate this partnership at a youth level, already a few years ago. We also hope to set up a women’s senior team soon. “
What are the goals of the first team?
“We started with the conviction of having set up a first level rooster capable of putting many other teams in difficulty, the backbone of the team is made up of 5 senior players, around which many interesting young people revolve (2000-2001 classes)
We suffered a couple of serious injuries at the start of the season that didn’t compromise our start.
The goal remains to raise the bar at all levels. We are aiming to qualify for the Serie B playoffs, we are currently in fifth place, we are experiencing a somewhat particular historical moment due to private covids of the head coach and with the long department a little in emergency, we will face Legnano with a knife between our teeth.
The second team (Serie C Silver) is also conducting a top championship, currently they have only suffered one defeat. “
On a technical level, how did you structure yourself?
“Lately we are also counting on the contribution of Alessio Gaudio who has enriched our staff by bringing his experience from Tortona as a dowry, while Jacomuzzi also holds the role of coordinator of the entire youth sector together with Michele Siragusa from the former Auxilium Turin. Even at the youth level, we try to rely on important figures for young people. “
Our brief chat ends here, the impression is that Langhe and Roero Basket is a truly innovative, interesting and dynamic reality in the panorama of Piedmontese basketball, to keep an eye on.
