There is a reason if Bologna and its University have achieved such excellent results, and that reason has nothing to do with chance or perfect star alignment. Every success, every medal, every away game is the result of painstaking work, carried out with at highest level of professionalism.
And behind all this lay the ideas and projects that Cus Bologna and the University of Bologna have been coordinating for some time, creating programmes designed for students who practise sports at the highest level. These programmes do not entitle athletes to any special favours or extra help – far from it – they simply provide support and assistance, allowing them to study without getting lost in the maze of University regulations and find the time they need to train. A project called “dual career” is already under way and allows around thirty students with great talent in sports to undertake their double (and demanding) commitment.
Cus Bologna has great ambitions and is supported by the academic world’s forward-thinking approach, as the twenty medals obtained at the National University Championships confirm. The top results consistently obtained by Cus Bologna are proof of the fact that the University, with its history and tradition, has taken action to support young students not just in the classrooms, but also to help them shine in the world of sport.
As mentioned, twenty medals, eight of which gold. A truly amazing result. Even if, for Cus Bologna’s standards, there could have been more. For example in team sports, as the men’s volleyball team brought home “just” bronze. The basketball team (twice European champions), was off the podium and fourth. The girls’ volleyball team went out during the qualifications.
A project that needs to be re-evaluated? Absolutely not, because Cus Bologna continues to form high-profile athletes (from a sport, academic and even moral point of view). Aside from the unknown factor – luck – that anyone who practices a sport knows about, at the last edition of the National University Championships the period chosen to hold the event was decisive.
As mentioned, Cus Bologna works with high-profile athletes. But during this time of the year, the second half of May, the main Italian Championships are busy with the play-offs. And Cus Bologna, despite its strong identity, could not ask its athletes to give up their club commitments to take part in the university event (it would have been impossible as well as unfair). For example, Giampaolo Ricci, one of the first to recently join the programme to complete his studies, a young athlete who met the University Rector Francesco Ubertini and discussed not just sport but also academic matters.
Giampaolo, one of the stars in the basketball team, is playing for a chance to play a historic championship final with Cremona.
This is not an excuse, just a simple fact. It would have been easier not to send the team(s) to the Championships and come up with an excuse. Instead, boldly, Cus Bologna did its best till the very end.
And took home twenty medals. So here are the protagonists: double gold (taekwondo) for Nicola Rosetti and Silvia Lombardi. Other gold medals went to Stafaniya Lazarova (taekwondo), Luca Villanova (judo), Eugenio Meloni (athletics), Fabrizio Scisciolo (fencing). Silver medals for Magdalena Milanova (taekwondo), Alessandro De La Rua (taekwondo), Chiara Calgarini (athletics), Sara Billi (fencing), Cecilia Mazzanti (fencing), Camilla Abbate (tennis), Camilla Abbate-Veronica Valgimigli (tennis). On the podium, with a bronze medal, Stefano Lo Giudice (boxing), Gianmarco Coppari (judo), Davide Evangelisti (taekwondo), men’s volley, Veronica Valgimigli (tennis).
Meanwhile, the University Olympics are just around the corner and surely among the Azzurri there will be many students from the University of Bologna.