Achille Polonara: His career is over, but he’s received another prestigious honor
Just a few weeks after announcing his retirement, Achille Polonara has received yet another sign of deep appreciation from the Italian basketball community. At the GIBA Executive Board meeting, held Thursday in Bologna with Alfonso Reyes, president of the Spanish Players’ Association, as an international guest, the former basketball player from the Marche region received a special lifetime achievement award—a recognition that goes beyond the statistics and trophies won by the 1991-born player.
Polonara had announced his retirement in early May, following a long period away from the court marked by a protracted battle with illness that forced him to take breaks on multiple occasions but never managed to break his spirit. His farewell message to basketball conveyed gratitude, suffering, and courage: “I want you to remember me for the player I was,” he wrote, after months of individual training in Avellino and an attempt at a comeback that ran up against physical limitations impossible to ignore.
The GIBA Lifetime Achievement Award thus serves as a tribute not only to the player, but to the man. Throughout his career, Polonara played for Teramo, Varese, Reggio Emilia, Sassari, Vitoria, Fenerbahçe, Efes, Zalgiris, and Virtus Bologna, winning titles in Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Lithuania, and leaving an indelible mark on the national team as well with 94 appearances, a silver medal at the Under-20 European Championship, and games etched in the collective memory—such as his 22 points against Serbia that secured a spot at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
During the meeting, GIBA also presented the other season awards: Alessandro Cappelletti for the men’s Serie A (Marco Bonamico Award), Giorgia Sottana for the women’s Serie A, and Federico Zampini for Serie A2 (Matteo Bertolazzi Award). The executive committee also discussed key issues such as player eligibility, comparing the situation in the Italian league with that of the Spanish league; the new regulations regarding agents; and Friday’s extraordinary Federal Council meeting on the Brescia case.
