The Italian tennis team also embraces the mission of Caterina and Francesca Santin. “Together we win”, chosen by the twins from Salisole (Verona) as the motto of the Bottega di Talenti association, founded two years ago to translate the concept of inclusion into reality and teach the value of diversity, has proven to be a success. It is more than ever. The champions, led by Filippo Volandri, who ended the week in the Davis Cup group stage yesterday and will return to Malaga in November to confirm his title as world champion, met the 22-year-old twins in Bologna, confirming the will of the Italian. The Tennis Federation and Padel intend to extend the “Sport Inclusive” project to all tennis clubs in Italy, launched by the Santin family last November at the Nogara Tennis Club.
“Catherina and Francesca asked us to be able to spread the beauty of this sport,” says their father, Sergio Santin, who, along with their mother Stefania, has become their voice, translating the suffering of the two girls, who are wheelchair-bound and can only express themselves through eye movements. “The Federation accepted their proposal and allowed us to have direct contact with the Azzurri: they are champions on the pitch, and Caterina and Francesca, in their own way, are champions off the pitch.
Even though life raised the bar a lot when they were born, they did not give up and decided to continue playing with the cards that fate had in store for them.
Showing by example that anyone can do it. You can win, sometimes you can lose, but the important thing is to never give up. A powerful message and an example of resilience, that of the twins, which deeply touched Volandri, Berrettini and their teammates, including world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who, fresh from winning the title at the recent US Open, joined the Azzurri in Bologna and shook hands with the “inclusion teachers” from Verona.
Thanks to this partnership, many people – able-bodied and disabled – will soon be able to pick up a racket at the tennis club closest to home and immerse themselves in games and guided tours designed by Talent Shop to show how united we all are in sport and how, regardless of different abilities, team spirit can be encouraged and complicity and fun created.
“As the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, we want to include everyone,” said National Councillor Isidoro Alvisi. “This is a very important moment for Italian tennis and its successes at the global level. We believe that this strength also comes from inclusion: no one is left behind, all are committed to achieving global success, and La Bottega dei Talenti, with its positive message transmitted by people of extraordinary perseverance – just as a great athlete should have – is a drop of hope in an ocean of solidarity.
Reproduction © Copyright ANSA
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