On the last day of the Sports Festival, L’Aquila’s historic success in the Final Eight of February in the Italian Cup was celebrated
The Cup of Dreams shines under the sun of Piazza Duomo in front of many people, the people of L’Aquila. Dolomiti Trento also celebrates at the Sports Festival the historic success achieved in February in Turin, home of the Final Eight of the Italian Cup. There are the four players of the current team who were at PalaInalpi in those days: Selom Mawugbe, Patrick Hassan, Jordan Bayehe and captain Toto Forray. With them the president of the club Luigi Longhi and the president of the Lega Basket Maurizio Gherardini.
COURAGE
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The protagonists of that fantastic weekend relived the lead-up stages, from the quarter-final against Reggio Emilia, “A real battle”, to the semi-final with Trieste. Point-to-point matches, which the team then coached by Paolo Galbiati took on with great courage. Until the challenge for the trophy won, with a margin (+16) over Olimpia Milano. “I remember the technical meeting before the final – says Bayehe – we tried some schemes in the hotel room, five against zero, also to ease the tension”. Thus Forray, the point guard who has played in Trento since 2011: “Lifting the Cup was an unforgettable moment, I struggled to hold back the emotion, it meant a lot for us players, the club and the entire Trentino community that supports us tirelessly. Now we have started again with a renewed, young and talented team”. Like Checkh Niang, Saliou’s 17-year-old brother, moved to Virtus Bologna and also appreciated in the national team at the European Championship. “Cheickh can become very strong, he just has to stay calm and keep working,” underlines Forray.
ACCOUNTS IN ORDER
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An Italian Cup with enormous weight for a young club, with just 30 years of history, which has become a model above all for its ability to combine sporting results (two championship finals lost in 2017 and 2018) and economic management. “Trento is a white fly – recalled Maurizio Gherardini, president of the League since the end of June – and this is why its success must be considered with respect and admiration. All clubs should be inspired by this model: cost sustainability and planning. It is one of the objectives of the Basketball League: our movement has ample room for growth and we are working to improve in all aspects”. Closing entrusted to Longhi, the president of Dolomiti. “At the center of our project is the return of value and promotion to the territory through basketball. The players who arrive in Trento experience the city, the social context, participate in many activities. Our secret is this: we are an expression of our land”.