4 days of intensive training in Milan
Milan. From March 24 to 27 2014, the Centro Tecnico Federale of PalaBadminton Milano, hosted the Badminton Europe Regional Project, organized by Federazione Italiana Badminton with the participation of the Under 17 and Under 19 players from Italy, Portugal and Spain.
35 athletes and coaches took part in Milan. They came from Portugal: Angelo Silva, Bernardo Atilano, Daniela Coinceçao, Duarte Anjo, Ricardo Silva e Sofia Setim, accompanied by their coach Jorge Caçao; From Spain: Blai Ramirez, Vicent Riera, Pablo Sanmartin, Victor Alcaide, Manuel Vazquez, Alejandro Gonzales, Javier Suarez, Brais Alvez, Elisa Borras, Marta Molina, Eva Murio and Maria Alonso, accompanied by their coach Cesar Gonzales; From Italy Matteo Bellucci, Fabio Caponio, Lukas Osele, Bruno Stegani, Andrea Stocker, Kevin Strobl, Greta Cavone, Giulia Fiorito, Lisa Iversen, Marah Punter and Camilla Taramelli with their coaches Artur Ruiz, Fabio Morino, Henri Vervoort and Lorenzo Pugliese.
It does not happen very often to see a coach of an Italian National team explaining badminton movements to a Portuguese athlete or to watch a Spanish coach giving suggestions and indications to an Italian player; on the playing ground during a tournament they will fight each other but during the sessions in Italy there are “team mates” and then you realize how athletes may change their role from teacher to athlete, from master to pupil, from learning to teaching and vice versa with no distinction and no difference of Tshirt color, with the only aim of improving one’s technical and athletic capacity but also to better relate each other.
BEC Regional Project is not only a project of technical development, it is also a moment of great development for each single athlete under international coaches, as Italy Youth Technical Director Fabio Morino says: “Having the opportunity to live four days real close to athletes and different training methods others than the usual ones, makes this chance unique for any athlete”.
It was quite a close cooperation, not only for athletes but also of the technical staff who shared the same goals of this Camp since the very beginning and created specific training sessions for the young players. “The structure of the Regional Project – Arturo Ruiz, Director of Italian Badminton Federation, explains – allows young athletes an all-round growth given the wide choice offered, switching gaming and training, and giving them the opportunity to participate in an international event over a long period of time”.
Article and photo by Italian Badminton Federation.