Filling Up on Medals

The 8^th national showdown individual tournament "Due Torri Bologna" took place at the Institute for the Blind Francesco Cavazza, and Marco Ferrigno won the men's championship while Chiara Di Liddo was the women's champion. Both are from Bologna's A.S.D. P.A.T. The tournament was organized by the sports group PAT Bologna and by the Cavazza Institute, authorized by the FISPIC Italian Paralympic Sports Federation for Blind and Visually Impaired, which provided referees staff. From February 10^th to the 12^th, 77 athletes, 47 men and 30 women from all over the country competed at the historic Institute, playing on 10 tables for a total of 400 matches, led by 17 federal FISPIC referees. Athletes were rewarded by Elio De Leo, President of the Istituto dei Ciechi Francesco Cavazza Onlus, and Sandro Di Girolamo, President of FISPIC.

Men's podium

1 Ferrigno Marco A.S.D. P.A.T. BOLOGNA

2 Massola Rinaldo A.S.D. SPORTELLA

3 Liberali Luca G.S.D. NON VEDENTI MILANO ONLUS

Women's podium

1 Di Liddo Chiara A.S.D. P.A.T. BOLOGNA'

2 Buttiglione Jessica G.S.D. NON VEDENTI MILANO ONLUS'

3 Folino Piera A.S.D. SPORTELLA

Full results are available on the FISPIC website: http://www.fispic.it/showquestionphp?faq=30&fldAuto=1893

Individual showdown meetings are held between two players, on a rectangular table with a centre-board screen, and goal pockets on either short side. It is played with paddles like ping pong and with a special ball which is audible. The objective of the game is to bat the ball across the table, under the centreboard screen, into the opponent's goal, while the opponent tries to prevent this from happening. A player scores two points for a goal and one point when their opponent hits the ball into the screen, hits the ball off the table, touches the ball with the bat or the batting hand within the goal area, touches the ball with anything but the bat, or traps or stops the ball for more than 2 seconds, making the ball inaudible for the opponent. The players must wear eye protection, to ensure that they won't be able to see the ball.

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