It had been announced as a big party, and so it was: the Brindisi dello sport on Thursday evening filled the Bismantova Theater with male and female athletes, family members and friends, for a beautiful evening that celebrated the goals achieved this year by the Castelnovo project in ‘ Monti Country for Sport.
More than 100 athletes and clubs were awarded who achieved important results over the 12 months, and who in any case contributed in a decisive way to making Castelnovo Monti a point of reference for sporting activity even at a national level: the testifies, for example, to the recognition assigned to what has been identified as the “event of the year”, i.e. the national athletics championships of the Italian Sports Center organized by Castelnovo Monti Athletics (awarded in the person of Maria Azzolini), an event that last summer it brought more than 1,500 athletes and 190 technicians from all over Italy to the Apennines, for a total of over 6,000 overnight stays. And the total number of overnight stays in Castelnovo linked to rallies, events, competitions and technical updates exceeded 10,000.
“These are extraordinary results – said Mayor Enrico Bini – which, moreover, are not limited to 2022 but open up prospects of great importance also for the coming years, given that we have renewed for the three-year period 2023 – 2025 the agreement as Federal Center of the Sports Federation Deaf Italy (Fssi), an agreement that also allowed us to obtain the funds to build a new 5 million euro sports hall. The sports tourism sector in Castelnuovo today is a solid reality, thanks to the constant activity of many sports clubs, volunteers, and the collaboration of companies and other associations, which on every occasion allow us not only to host athletes, but also to them to know the territory and the community. We want to continue collaborating with private operators to increase accommodation since we have more requests than we can satisfy. I thank the Emilia-Romagna Region which follows us and supports us in these projects”.
Giammaria Manghi also took part in the evening, precisely representing the Region, and underlined how “the activities linked to the Sport Valley convey values of great importance, sport is a means for the healthy growth of children, to transmit messages such as inclusion, team spirit, sacrifice to achieve results. Today the Apennines have the tools to have tourist attraction throughout the year built on this sector”.
An example was given by the guests of honor of the evening: the Fssi women’s basketball national teams, silver medalist at the Rio 2022 Olympics for the deaf and European champions, and the Fssi men’s volleyball team, bronze medalist in Brazil and European champions 2022. Both thanked for the excellent welcome received in Castelnovo for their year-end gathering, not only in the context of sports and accommodation facilities but on all occasions for meeting with citizens.
Athletes of the Castelnovesi clubs Olimpia Fitness, Centro Danza Appennino, Athletica Castelnovo Monti, Fa.Ce, Onda della Pietra Triathlon, LG Competition Basket, Stone Trail Team, Atletic Progetto Montagna, Rainbow dance theater and singing school were awarded. Pedal University, Bismantova Table Tennis, Motoracing Team, Apennine Reggiano Tennis Club, Bismantova Archery Comprehensive Institute, Bismantova Nordic Ski, Just Climb Asd, 6-legged Briganti, and the companies that have contributed to the enhancement of the territory Cai Bismantova, La Pietra alpine guides, Kangeiko Karate, Asd Felina, Polisportiva Gatta, Appennino Volley Team, Sps la Pietra Lago di Virola, Bismantova Ski Club, Polisportiva Quadrifoglio, Felinese Scrl.
The evening was enlivened by dance performances by Olimpia Fitness, Centro Danza Appennino and Scuola Arcobaleno.
