Basketball, the Italian national team with Down syndrome is world champion
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Renewed in its squad after the farewells of Senators Spiga and Ciceri, the result hasn’t changed: four games and as many victories. In group B, Italbasket first settled Hungary (31-14) and then Saudi Arabia (58-6), managing to employ all 8 players (the international formula is that of 4vs4). In the semifinal, against the hosts Portugal, the Azzurri had the upper hand thanks to an excellent comeback in the third and fourth periods, after also going down in the score (12-15). The 20-16 final bears the signatures of Paulis (10), Leocata (6) and Greco (4).
The final act is a remake: again Italy-Hungary. Match that opened and closed the World Cup. It wasn’t an easy final, so much so that the Magyars had tried to surprise the Azzurri with a bold start (2-6). But it’s just a flash in the pan. With patience, Italy returns to play without fear, closing the first quarter ahead 7-6. The situation reversed, despite a great inaccuracy from the line (only 3/10 for our players), it’s an Italian monologue: at the long interval we are ahead 15-8 and, dragged along in the third period by Paulis, we close 27-10. The last period is academy, Bufacchi manages to employ all the members of the squad and fix the result on a 36-12.
