BLUE NEW 31_215x270 - Blue Liguria - Sagep

lue
sport
tennis, già conquistata ma abbandonata
per problemi di budget
sei anni fa. L’esordio di inizio
ottobre non è stato dei migliori
(4-1 sul campo della corazzata Tt
Sandonatese, campionesse in carica
e tre scudetti cuciti sul petto),
ma la loro faccia pulita è
l’immagine più bella di questo
piccolo miracolo dello sport nostrano.
from Rome, fresh from her
participation in the European
Juniors, and Clara Costadura, 17,
Genoese, medal in the doubles at
the last Italian Championships)
are the first to bring Genoa into
the top series, the Italian A1
Women’s Table Tennis Team,
where Genoa appeared briefly six
years ago, but then abandoned,
due to budget reasons. Our girls’
Photo Bussalino
Photo Ursida
Olympics for over twenty years
now; Nixon used it to “thaw” out
the Cold War; in China it is played
by millions of professionals; and
starting this year, it is to be
serious stuff even for us. We may
not have sleek champions with
almond-shaped eyes, but we have
four young Italian girls who swear
by their paddles – Bianca, Valeria,
Claudia, and Clara – who have
been defending, for barely a
month now, their colors. Tennis
Tavolo Genova for the first time
ever is in the top series.
Not even averaging 18 years in
age, honors for all in the juvenile
series, Captain Valeria Zefiro (22,
engineering student, the veteran
of the team) and her companions
(Bianca Bracco, 16, from Sanremo,
15th in Italy; Claudia Carassia, 17,
Le ragazze della Cervino Genova
in allenamento. Sotto, la
squadra insieme a coach
Alessandro Quaglia, 40 anni
(al centro). Sotto, sulla destra,
la capitana Valeria Zefiro,
la veterana del team
The girls of Cervino Genova in
training. Below, the team with
Coach Alessandro Quaglia, 40
(at center)
Se il club rimane «società dilettantistica
in tutto e per tutto» -
ricordano i dirigenti - e va avanti
grazie a sponsor entusiasti (tra
cui Cervino, Coop Liguria, Faro
Viaggi, Sp Sport e il Convitto Colombo,
che ospita le due ragazze
fuorisede) e il volontariato di tifosi
e appassionati, è anche vero
che tra i tavoli biancoblù le cose
si sanno fare sul serio. I tesserati
crescono di anno in anno (oggi
una sessantina, sui circa 500 -
per 19 società - cartellini Fitet in
tutta la Liguria), per la serie A1 è
stata trovata una nuova sede (la
palestra di via Odero, nel quar-
success in October was not the
best performance (4-1 against the
“well-armored” Tt Sandonatese,
champions in the charge, and
three trophies sewed on their
chest), but their clean youthful
faces made the most beautiful
image of this little miracle in our
sport.
Even if the club remains “a totally
amateur association”, as the
managers remind us, “and it
functions only thanks to
enthusiastic sponsors (like
Cervino, Coop Liguria, Faro Viaggi,
Sp Sport and Convitto Colombo,
which houses the two girls who
do not live at home), and even if
the fans and “those of passion”
do all the volunteering, it still is
true that among those white and
blue tables something serious is
happening. Card-holders keep
increasing from year to year
(today they are around 60, among
the circa 500 – divided between
19 sports clubs – Fitet cardholders
in the whole of Liguria).
For the A1series, they have found
a new headquarters (the gym on
Via Odero, in the Foce quarter).
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