Volleyball, Caterina Bosetti: “Our team represents what Italy is today, in every facet”

“Italy of today And thisit’s us, our team in every facet.” Catherine Bosetti, medal of gold to the Olympics of Paris with the Italian women’s volleyball teamthus condemned the umpteenth episode of racism involving her teammate in the national team, Paola Egonu: The vandalism against the mural by street artist Laika that celebrated her outside the CONI headquarters in Rome. Interviewed by The Republicthe spiker originally from Busto Arsizio confirmed her teammate’s words Myriam Sylla, another Italian medalist, who had described the women’s volleyball team as “the precise reflection of Italy of today”. “I feel close to what Myriam said – Bosetti said -, and I’m sorry to always have to justify something when we should just rejoice for what we have brought to Italy, for what we are as women and athletes: by doing this we would become a better country“. Statements that are indirectly included in the ongoing political debate on the need to reform the citizenship law in Italy.

“Our gold medal will last forever, we are the ones who won in Paris”, commented Bosetti, reconstructing the key moments of this historic milestone. After being excluded from the European Championship team, the change of coach and the arrival of julio Velasco brought the spiker back to the center of the project. But the disappointment of not being called up was compensated by the emotions of being able to experience a summer different from the others: “I have been doing summer retreats since I was very little. I felt like I was tasting another life, at the seaside with my family”. Then the Olympic triumph: “I don’t want to play the victim, I know what it means to be a victim. normal work. But behind the beauty of our Olympics there was sacrifice, anxiety, tension that ate you up with the result that we seemed like an army at war, all so hungry. There were six of us on the pitch, but whoever came off the bench felt important, knew what he had to give to the team, knew his role 100%, happy with the happiness Of all”.