Italy’s National Technical Director of wheelchair basketball Carlo Di Giusto has formalised the squad of 12 summoned for the upcoming 2018 World Championships in Hamburg (Germany), scheduled from 16th August.
There were only two changes compared to the European Championships in Tenerife last summer, both coming from the Italian champion team of the Briantea 84 Cantù: it is Jacopo Geninazzi, who last made his appearance for the Blues four years ago, and Davide Schiera, making his international debut at a major. Confirmed in the role of captains are Simone De Maggi and Filippo Carossino.
This is the complete list:
Domenico Beltrame (Santa Lucia Basket), Filippo Carossino (UnipolSai Briantea 84 Cantù), Simone De Maggi(DECO Group Amicacci Giulianova), Jacopo Geninazzi (UnipolSai Briantea 84 Cantù), Enrico Ghione (S. Stefano UBI Banca), Andrea Giaretti (S. Stefano UBI Banca), Giulio Maria Papi (UnipolSai Briantea 84 Cantù), Ahmed Raourahi (UnipolSai Briantea 84 Cantù), Francesco Santorelli (UnipolSai Briantea 84 Cantù), Davide Schiera(UnipolSai Briantea 84 Cantù), Claudio Spanu (Dinamo Lab), Marco Stupenengo (Santa Lucia Basket).
The two assistants Roberto Ceriscioli and Fabio Castellucci complete the Blue’s technical staff.
Italy will begin it’s World Championship campaign on 17th August at 9.30am against Japan; then on 18th August at 5.30pm they challenge Brazil, and finally on 19th August at 14.00pm the last group match against Turkey, before the knockout phase.
“It is always difficult to make choices when the differences between the athletes available are so minimal”, explains Carlo Di Giusto; “Davide Schiera will be very useful to allow us greater rotations, while Jacopo Geninazzi was the best ever during the last rally, and he won the call with commitment and seriousness. Our goal is to make a good group and try to enter the top eight of the world “, concludes the technical manager in blue.
The twelve summoned will meet on July 10th for a second summer meeting, before the pre-departure retreat for Germany, in mid-August.
Wording and image courtesy of Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro in Carrozzina
