(Provided by Tennis World USA)
The European Team Championships get underway, which from 11 to 15 July, will take place in four different countries: Finland (Ladies), France (Girls), Belgium (Amateur) and Switzerland (Boys), with all the blue selections.
There will be 528 athletes on the field for a total of 88 different teams representing 29 nations.
European Team Championships, schedule
European Ladies’ Team Championship – In the 40th edition of the tournament, the Italian Ladies will be engaged in Finland on the course of the Tawast Golf Club & Country Club in Hämeenlinna.
The following will take the field: Maria Vittoria Corbi, Caterina Don, Matilde Innocenti Angelini, Benedetta Moresco, Alessia Nobilio and Anna Zanusso, accompanied by Stefano Sardi (captain), Enrico Trentin (Advice Giver) and Stefano Soffietti (coach).
The Azzurri have been the protagonists in the last two years with second place in 2022 and third in 2021. England prevailed on both occasions and will try to win the third consecutive title, a feat previously achieved by Sweden, from 2018 to 2020 , and to Spain, from 2003 to 2007, when the frequency was every two years.
Italy has never won the race, but has finished second on five occasions: last year, as mentioned, and in 1959 (first edition), 1961, 1985 and 2017. 19 nations take part in the event. In addition to Italy and England, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Wales will be on the field. European Girls’ Team Championship – Golf D’ Hossegor, in the city from which the club takes its name in France, will host the Girls with the hosts who will defend the title won last year in Iceland.
The blue team will be formed by Natalia Aparicio, Paris Appendino, Ginevra Coppa, Francesca Fiorellini, Matilde Partele and Francesca Pompa. They will be supported by Roberto Zappa, head coach of the women’s national amateur team, captain Anna Roscio, team manag er of the women’s national team, and coach Alex Senoner.
Sixteen national teams will be on the field: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland together with Italy and France, who will be looking for the double, hoping for help from friendly field.
The feat was achieved twice by Sweden (2007, 2008 and 2012, 2013) and Spain, at the birth of the tournament (1991, 1993), biennial until 1999, and when they obtained the only hat-trick (from 2001 to 2003 ) In the previous 28 editions of the event, the Azzurri won twice, in 2016 and 2018 during a great five-year period in which they also won three silver medals (2014, 2015, 2017).
Two more second places in 1995 and 1999. European Amateur Team Championship – Pietro Bovari, Matteo Cristoni, Julien Paltrinieri, Flavio Michetti, Lucas Nicolas Fallotico and Riccardo Fantinelli make up the blue formation that takes part in the 40th edition of the European Amateur Championship on The course of the Royal Waterloo Golf Club, in Lasne in Belgium.
The team will be followed by Alberto Binaghi, Technical Commissioner of the National Amateur Men’s Team, Alain Vergari, Vice Technical Commissioner, the athletic trainer and nutritionist Massimo Messina and the captain Simone Armando Colozza.
Spain will defend the title, which last year overcame Sweden in the final, now ready to take revenge in a context in which, together with Italy, there will be thirteen other formations: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France , Germany, Ireland, Holland, Slovenia, Switzerland and Wales.
The tournament was held in the peninsula on three occasions and on one of these the Azzurri achieved their only success (Golf Club Monticello, 1999). Two silvers, in 1975 and 1991. European Boys’ Team Championship – The 16 Boys teams participate ing in the 44th edition of the tournament will compete for the title on the course of the Golf Club de Genève, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The blue team is made up of Marco Florioli, Giovanni Daniele Binaghi, Bruno Frontero, Luca Memeo, Biagio Andrea Gagliardi and Michele Ferrero. With them the captain Giovanni Bartoli, the coaches Alessandro Bandini and Giorgio Grillo and the physiotherapist Cristiano Cambi .
With Italy, second in 2021 and seventh last year, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Holland, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland will be on the starting tee.
Aiming for the consecutive trio, never achieved by any team, Germany, who achieved the double twenty-five years after the previous one signed against Spain (1996, 1997), the Iberians preceded twice by England (1985,1986 and 1994) , 1995) .