BEIJING — There aren’t 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 workforce will cope simply tremendous with out them.
The one commemoration the Italians wanted was the reminiscence of two of probably the most gratifying targets within the workforce’s historical past, and the prospect that they will help save the nation’s sled hockey program from the specter of extinction.
Together with his workforce trailing by a aim 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 recreation 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 evening.
“I hope in Italy there have been some youngsters watching it, who say, ‘Wow, I want to play that recreation that folks love a lot,” Macri stated. “As a result of we desperately want extra gamers.”
Macri spoke by cellphone 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 workforce slid backward a bit. Nonetheless, as Macri stated, “This one means extra.”
There are a lot 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 might give the nationwide program a vital increase going into the following Paralympic cycle, to boost consciousness and recruit extra gamers.
However for the Italian gamers, there’s an underlying sense of pessimism in regards to the future.
“We hope within the subsequent 4 years we are able to develop extra,” stated Italian defenseman Gianluigi Rosa, who was taking part in 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 workforce is a band of amateurs, every of whom should submit 18 days of trip requests at their common jobs with a view to take part within the Paralympics, and who battle to seek 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 yr in the past — and Italy faces daunting odds in opposition to groups with vastly superior sources and ranges of dedication.
One other issue that made Friday’s win so particular was that Italy’s path to the fifth-place playoff recreation was dispiriting at instances. The Italians have been 1-2 in group play, with their solely win coming in opposition to Slovakia, one other workforce with scant historical past or sources. 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 in opposition to the highest tier of proficient groups. Italy went into the match ranked seventh out of 16 on the planet, however video games in opposition to the elites of the game will be sobering.
“It’s wonderful to play in opposition to 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 taking part in? Why?’”
As a mannequin for tips on how to construct a program and maintain it, Macri factors to China, the workforce 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 practice full time, 3 times a day.
The Italians can solely discover ice time twice per week.
Russia and Korea inaugurated new applications 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.
“An enormous loss,” Rosa stated. “He gave us inspiration. I nonetheless bear in mind the phrases he gave us earlier than huge video games. However we’ve got to go on. In life all the things adjustments, and it’s a probability for one thing new.”
In line with Mirko Bianchi, Italy’s assistant coach, many international locations with sturdy applications ship scouts and gamers into hospitals to recruit individuals with disabilities to play, and lots of governments present financing for coaching. In Italy, there’s 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. However it’s arduous. In Italy, we’ve got soccer, basketball, volleyball, and everybody desires to play these sports activities.”
Social media is one other avenue used to pique the curiosity of potential gamers. However members of the present workforce want to see the Italian ice sports activities federation contribute extra money for tv and radio promoting.
“We might like to see extra assist,” Macri stated, “however you understand, there’s not a lot custom for hockey in Italy.”
With the Video games again in Italy in 4 years, the Azzurri might have an opportunity to construct off Friday’s victory by rising consciousness and displaying their federation that they’re prepared to combat 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’re not professionals. We’re simply individuals who have a ardour to play sled hockey.”
