First World Arm Wrestling Championship in Italy at Gardone Riviera
Aaround thirty nations and approximately 600 participating athletes, plus doctors, trainers, and chaperones, are attending. This is the first time the World Arm Wrestling Championship is held in Italy. So far, champions from the United States (about fifty), Costa Rica, Armenia, England, Brazil (around forty), Turkey (the most… unruly, since at the Brescia station, not seeing the bus sent by the organizers and waiting patiently for some time, they rented another), Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Malta, Egypt, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Japan (around forty), France, Switzerland, Argentina, Lithuania, and Sweden have arrived at Gardone Riviera. Others are expected in the morning, after which registrations will be finalized and the exact number will be known. About sixty Italians are participating. Pakistan, India, and Uzbekistan have withdrawn due to war and visa issues. The competition will start tomorrow at 11 a.m., under the tent set up in front of the «La Terrazza» sports center. The events will begin with the «left-handed» (men and women), followed by the master category, meaning those aged at least 40 years. On Saturday, from 10:30 a.m., categories include disabled athletes and various «right-handed» classes (men up to 50 kg, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100; women up to 50, 60, 70, 80, over 80). On Sunday, the finals will take place (men up to 55, 65, 75, 85, 110, over 110 kg; women up to 45, 55, and 65 kg). The event will conclude with the supermatch between the winners, awarding a prize of one thousand dollars. Yesterday afternoon, during the presentation at the Grand Hotel hall, four sports figures were present: Franco Cappelletti, judo master; Beppe Ogna, former cyclist (track world champion); Gino Corioni, president of Brescia, and Evaristo Beccalossi, former football player, now the face of Sony and Telelombardia commentator. The main sponsors — Danilo Corsini of Technopartner and Carlo Dragoni of Dragonfly — were also present. Marco Scalvini, mayor of Bagolino and one of the promoters, read telegrams from the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as well as from deputies and ambassadors from Costa Rica, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Egypt, and Slovakia.
From the political and sports front
«After overcoming a thousand difficulties, we are finally starting,» said Scalvini. «Arm wrestling is no longer just a joke between father and son, nor played in bars. It has become a real sport, to the extent that we are asking the Coni (Italian National Olympic Committee) for official recognition. We want it included in the Olympic demonstration program. We are still waiting for an answer. Our competitors are not just muscle men; they train diligently and dedicate themselves to the sport.» Scalvini announced that there will be a request to exclude the secretary of the World Federation, Indian Barij Baras Das, who voluntarily sent a fax to athletes inviting them not to participate in the world championship due to the risks of air travel.
Protests and the desire for peace
«He wanted to wage a holy war, but our sport is an ambassador of peace. It would be nice if disputes and conflicts were resolved via arm wrestling. We cannot live in fear of acts of terrorism or something that might happen. We want to start living again.» The provincial councilor, Alessandro Sala, hopes that «societal ugliness will be set aside and a ray of light will return». Claudio Rizza, head of the Italian Federation (from Gardone Riviera, formerly competing on «Foscarina», the boat that won the Palio summer race four years in a row), recalled the sacrifices made and the financial efforts sustained. A brief greeting was also delivered by the president of the World Federation, Slovak Milan Capla, and Mayor Alessandro Bazzani. Italy aims to improve on last year’s results in Virginia (United States), where it earned a silver medal with Cristian Guatta of Roè Volciano, and two bronzes with Mauro Callegaro of Varese and Nicola Schivalocchi, also from Roè.
