Opening in style for the Club Cup 2022 MSP Italy. The 124 teams participating in the provincial phase of Rome took the field last weekend, giving life to games full of fun and sporting amateurism. The real novelty of the 2022 edition is represented by the inclusive trait: in the field athletes together with athletes with disabilities. An experiment that testifies how sport can be a vehicle for integration into society.
Rackets and fun
And so it was: Roberto PunzoParalympic athlete specializing in badminton, took to the field on Saturday with Sportinsiemeroma in the home of Red Padel: “I have been living in a wheelchair for 16 years, I have been practicing various sports for eight years, not without success, both nationally and internationally – tells -. Saturday I entered as an away guest, in a padel club among people who play outdoors, even with a competitive spirit, enjoying their health condition, without having to undergo classification visits to categorize my disability. While waiting to enter the field, moments of profound despair related to my supervening condition as a paraplegic quickly presented to me in the theater of my mind, I never thought they could have led me to an afternoon of such happy sharing of spaces and activities. I thank MSP Italia, the Joy Padel Club that hosts me for training, all the friends who are accompanying me, Massimo Maliziaa generously visionary padel master, finally Luca Alessandrini, the President of ASD Sportinsieme, an enlightened and indefatigable sports executive. I would like many other people with disabilities to be allowed the satisfaction of these hours of mine with padel, sport, adapted yes, but without classification barriers as soon as possible.».
Scopece: “Inspired by the Spanish regulation”
For the record, the match ended 2-2 with Roberto Punzo taking home his match paired with Massimo Malizia. “Including athletes with disabilities along with able-bodied athletes fills my eyes with pride – he confides Daniele ScopeceTechnical Director MSP Roma -, because as a Sports Promotion Body we are sensitive to social issues concerning integration into sport. We have studied this innovation in detail, drawing inspiration from the Spanish regulation from which we drew inspiration. I would like to thank all the participating clubs and the Sportinsiemeroma with which we have broadened the horizons of padel sports amateurism. The images we saw over the weekend will remain etched forever in the history of the Club Cup and of this sport».
