MINIBASKET Nearly 800 children on the field, Cmb Leoncino wins
Sunday morning, in the crowded and joyful Indoor Stadium of Piombino Dese, the 16th edition of the International Minibasket Epiphany Tournament has ended. The victory goes to the Venetians of Cmb Leoncino that in the final surpassed Mens Sana Siena 1871 49 to 38; third classified are the Croatians of Krizevci, the only foreign team, which asserted themselves against Reyer Venezia Oro, the titleholder. This edition, organized by the Hurricane Basketball (a team of local societies) with the sponsorship of Fip in many fields of the province, in four days of matches saw 44 busy sides with a total of nearly 800 children of the Aquilotti category (born in 2003-2004). It was also the first edition without its author and organizing man-of-all-work Leopoldo Carraro who, after thirty years of commitment in many titles in the basketball of Padua, is now a simple spectator. The “baton”, in any case, has passed in good hands, having been gathered by the staff of his young cooperators, Andrea Beghin and Emanuele Mura in particular. In the space of the Tournament, many have been the point by point matches, as the qualifying round of SP Vignola and Vigodarzere, which has excited the gym of Camposampiero and has ended after three extra times. Besides “Vigo”, which ranked 14th ( losing against Riviera Fossò), all the teams of Padua province ended behind: 21st and 23rd winning the respective finals, Virtus and Cmb Orfeo, which had excited in a previous play-off; 29th Redentore Este; 31st and 32nd, after having played against each other in the final, NP Dese and Fulgor San Bellino; and then the others. Besides the competitive sport aspects, the 16th edition of the Epiphany Tournament has completely reached its purpose of social relations and sharing between the children coming from all the peninsula: besides two teams hosted in a hotel, the Croatian team has been hosted by the families of the Jolly Basket of Santa Maria di Sala, while other four teams coming from outside region have been hosted in the secondary school of Limena ( where there also was the “team” composed by 37 federal referees). In that school, among other things, during one of the nights organized by the Tournament, more than 100 children have enjoyed bread and chocolate in a successful “Nutella Party”.
Il Gazzettino – Edizione Padova – 07/01/2014