For Italy’s Sled Hockey Team, ‘This One Means More’

BEIJING — There are not any medals for fifth place within the Paralympic sled hockey match. However judging by the scenes of exultation and pleasure on the ice at China’s Nationwide Indoor Stadium on Friday, the Italian nationwide group will cope simply tremendous with out them.

The one commemoration the Italians wanted was the reminiscence of two of essentially the most gratifying objectives within the group’s historical past, and the prospect that they might help save the nation’s sled hockey program from the specter of extinction.

Along with his group trailing by a objective with solely 12 seconds remaining in regulation, Andrea Marci scored to stave off one other demoralizing loss and ship the sport into additional time. Macri then assisted on Christoph DePaoli’s sport winner six minutes into the additional interval as Italy beat the Czech Republic, 4-3, to safe a fifth-place end and unleash a stirring celebration that lasted deep into the night time.

“I hope in Italy there have been some youngsters watching it, who say, ‘Wow, I wish to play that sport that folks love a lot,” Macri stated. “As a result of we desperately want extra gamers.”

Macri spoke by telephone from the athletes’ village in Beijing, as his jubilant teammates sang within the background whereas awaiting a go to from an official on the Italian embassy right here.

4 years in the past, in Pyeongchang, Italy completed fourth, so the group slid backward a bit. Nonetheless, as Macri stated, “This one means extra.”

There are lots of causes for that, together with the timing of the dramatic win for a rustic that has fewer than three dozen sled hockey gamers, whole. With the 2026 Winter Paralympic Video games scheduled for Milano-Cortino in Italy, the Azzurri’s win Friday may give the nationwide program a important increase going into the subsequent Paralympic cycle, to lift consciousness and recruit extra gamers.

However for the Italian gamers, there may be an underlying sense of pessimism concerning the future.

“We hope within the subsequent 4 years we are able to develop extra,” stated Italian defenseman Gianluigi Rosa, who was enjoying in his fourth consecutive Paralympics. “However I actually have no idea.”

It isn’t straightforward to be a para ice hockey participant in Italy. The group is a band of amateurs, every of whom should submit 18 days of trip requests at their common jobs to be able to take part within the Paralympics, and who battle to search out ice time in a rustic with little hockey custom and solely three usable ice rinks.

This system clings to outlive.

Macri stated there have been solely 30 gamers in the complete nation, and simply two membership groups — down from three a 12 months in the past — and Italy faces daunting odds towards groups with vastly superior assets and ranges of dedication.

One other issue that made Friday’s win so particular was that Italy’s path to the fifth-place playoff sport was dispiriting at occasions. The Italians have been 1-2 in group play, with their solely win coming towards Slovakia, one other group with scant historical past or assets. Italy was then shut out by Korea, 4-0, within the knockout stage.

Over all, it was outscored, 15-0, in its three losses, and 18-6 total.

And none of these video games have been towards the highest tier of proficient groups. Italy went into the match ranked seventh out of 16 on this planet, however video games towards the elites of the game might be sobering.

“It’s wonderful to play towards the U.S. and Canada,” Macri stated. “However in case you are an athlete and also you enter on the ice and also you already know that you simply lose the sport; first time, OK. Second time, OK, third time, OK. The fourth time you say, ‘However, why am I enjoying? Why?’”

As a mannequin for tips on how to construct a program and maintain it, Macri factors to China, the group that muscled Italy out of the highest 4 in solely 5 years in existence. China’s fledgling para league has eight groups already and its nationwide gamers prepare full time, thrice a day.

The Italians can solely discover ice time twice every week.

Russia and Korea inaugurated new packages earlier than internet hosting the Winter Paralympics in Russia in 2014 and South Korea in 2018. Italy did the identical in 2006 forward of the Video games in Turin, largely behind the charismatic management of Andrea Chiarotti, one of many founding members of Italian sled hockey in 2003.

Chiarotti died 4 years in the past of a mind tumor and his loss has left a big void in this system.

“A giant loss,” Rosa stated. “He gave us inspiration. I nonetheless bear in mind the phrases he gave us earlier than large video games. However now we have to go on. In life every thing adjustments, and it’s a probability for one thing new.”

In accordance with Mirko Bianchi, Italy’s assistant coach, many nations with robust packages ship scouts and gamers into hospitals to recruit individuals with disabilities to play, and plenty of governments present financing for coaching. In Italy, there may be little cash for that, Bianchi stated, so it’s left to the gamers to make appearances at hospitals to uncover expertise.

“It’s not really easy discovering new gamers,” Bianchi stated. “We attempt to discover individuals who perhaps had an accident and ask them to play. But it surely’s laborious. In Italy, now we have soccer, basketball, volleyball, and everybody needs to play these sports activities.”

Social media is one other avenue used to pique the curiosity of potential gamers. However members of the present group wish to see the Italian ice sports activities federation contribute more cash for tv and radio promoting.

“We’d like to see extra assist,” Macri stated, “however you understand, there may be not a lot custom for hockey in Italy.”

With the Video games again in Italy in 4 years, the Azzurri may have an opportunity to construct off Friday’s victory by rising consciousness and displaying their federation that they’re keen to struggle for each inch of ice, and bounce again from lopsided losses to attain dramatic wins.

“We’re Italian,” Macri stated. “We will play actually good hockey, however we are able to additionally play terrible hockey. We aren’t professionals. We’re simply individuals who have a ardour to play sled hockey.”