Rome, july 7th 2004

Olympic Games are very much more of what they appears. They show off, and we become proud for this, the highest value of the athletics, but they are also a chance to catalyze sports and economics enterprises.
Turin and Piedmont will be the site of Winter Olympic Games 2006. The industry is feverish. There is a city, one of the most important city of Italy, that is working with the valley communities to strengthen their identity and to resolve as a modern city, sensitive to the news.
We are watching with great attention to Turin and Piedmont. The history of italian sport was born in Turin, since 1844, with Reale Società Ginnastica Torino, a model of organization that had a decisive factor for Gymnastic Federation of the century. And now, in two years, there will be the Olympic Games: again, history and modernity compare them and try to talk together.
I’m pleased that, in this atmosphere, Piedmont committee of Italian basketball federation decide to organize European Championship for Under 16 girls. It is an intelligent enterprise, that put italian basketball in the centre of european attention for a juvenile event that will show the champions of tomorrow.
The organization of an European Championship for 16 teams is very hard. Biella, Novara, Asti, Cuneo are the cities where it will play the qualifing round. The finals will be played in Turin. Again, Piedmont and its capital work together.
Compliments to presidente of Italian basketball federation, Fausto Maifredi, to represent at the best italian basket in Fiba and to have the organization of an European championship in Italy. Compliments to Giorgio Bassignana, president of Piedmont committee of Italian basketball federation, for the organization works. I’m sure that the girls and the coaches will be loftiness of their role, because to dress blue shirt is the greatest aspiration for a player, a target, but also a stimulus to improve.
But as Coni (italian olympic committee) president I can’t forget that italian female basketball team will be not in the next Athen’s Olympic games. I would like to think that someone of this Under 16 girls, in the observance of the program to throwing the female basketball national team, could be in the italian team for the Games of Bejing 2008.
I wish this future with all one’s heart.

Gianni Petrucci

President of Italian olympic committee