Traditional end-of-year appointment for the Panathlon delegations of Como and Lecco. In two different meetings, the leaders of the two associations awarded the prizes to the Larian sportsmen who most honored the sport and values promoted by Panathlon itself, of the two provinces, during this 2021.
The Panathlon Como awards ceremony was held in Villa del Grumello whit the presidente Edoardo Ceriani.
The highlight of the ceremony came with the delivery of the honors. Three winners. For his career, the “Antonio Spallino” Fair Play award goes to Riccardo Piatti, the great tennis teacher from Como, universally recognized as one of the best in the world. Great champions have passed from his academy and schools, the last of which is none other than Jannick Sinner, the Italian player of the moment. During the award ceremony, Piatti recalled that sport must be a game and also a pleasure, as he learned it from his father, a panathlete from Como and Italian water skiing champion, and in this society in which young people are often led “to run”, His task is to educate them to respect the right times by pursuing the results with a lot of work and passion.
Sports promotion award to Luca Rumi, soul of the Virtus Cermenate of basketball for his commitment to promoting sport in all its forms of competitiveness and competitive spirit, sociality, health and relational spirit. Result obtained thanks to his ability to unite different worlds and people under the same goal, managing to make a team both in the career of a player first, then as a manager and finally as president in one of the liveliest realities of the Como provincial scene.
Finally, fair play award to the young Mattia Martinelli, 12-year-old football goalkeeper in Eracle Sport, for his fair behavior during the 2009 A Eracle-Figino football match, validating an opponent’s goal not recognized by the match director.
In Lecco, the ceremony, introduced by the panathlete Marco Corti, took place in the presence of the outgoing president Francesco Calvetti and the incoming one (from February 2022) Andrea Mauri. The Panathlon Club Lecco Trophy – Athlete of the year 2021 was awarded to Marco Radaelli, 18 years old from Garlate, World Junior Bmx champion. Spectacular images of the world championship final accompanied the award ceremony with a Radaelli visibly excited about the important award received.
The evening also included the delivery of four special prizes. It began with a video link with the volleyball player from Garlate, born in 1999, Sylvia Chinelo Nwakalor awarded for winning the European volleyball title with the national team jersey.
It was then the turn of Lecco Calcio a 5, which in the twentieth anniversary season was promoted to the Serie A2 championship. The award was received by an excited president Elena Ionel with the historic sports director and co-founder of the club, Marcello Maruccia, creator of many successes. It should also be noted that Lecco Calcio a 5, for the occasion, signed the Panathlon “Fair Play Charter” by creating a banner that will be displayed in home games.
Loud applause then for Kwadzo Klokpah, the Dervian Paralympic canoe athlete back from third place in the “B” final at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Finally, the spotlight has fallen to the youngest of the winners, the seventeen year old from Colico Beatrice Colli, World Speed Climbing Champion. Strong emotions even when, surprisingly, a note sent by Pierre Zappelli, president of Panathlon International, was read. Note that he conferred the special diploma and the silver brooch with sapphire on the pentathlete Luigi Baggioli, partner for over 50 years: half a century of commitment also as a precious treasurer.
