Italian Absolute and Para Badminton Championships return to Sicily after 25 years
The Italian Absolute and Para Badminton Championships return to Sicily after 25 years and will be hosted from November 28 to 30 at the PalaMangano in Palermo. Many protagonists will try to win the 12 tricolors made available, plus the coveted Team Cup. In the men’s singles, the favorites seem to be the two 3/4 seeds, Fabio Caponio (CS Aeronautica Militare) and Giovanni Toti (CS Esercito); the former goes in the hunt for his first title in this discipline while the latter will try to repeat his 2021 success, which was then succeeded by Christoper Vittoriani with a hat trick but absent in Palermo. Caponio and Toti on their way will find in a possible semifinal the host Davide Izzo (Piume d’Argento), seeded No. 1 and Zyver De Leon (BC Milano) seeded No. 2. Other potential pitfalls seem to be represented by Simone Piccinin (BC Milano), Alessio Catalfamo (GS Fiamme Oro) and Luca Zhou (ASV Mals).
In women’s singles, defending champion Emma Piccinin (CS Aeronautica Militare) will try to repeat her success of 2024 among the main rivals will find teammate Gianna Stiglich, Anna Hell (ASV Uberetsch), Lena Kobler (ASV Mals) and Lidia Rainero (CUS Torino) and number 1 seed. In men’s doubles, however, it will be hunting for a new champion pair. The eve’s favorites are Lukas Osele and Kevin Strobl (ASV Mals/CS Aeronautica Militare) who will try to return to the top step of the podium already won in 2018. The main opponents seem to be Catalfamo/Izzo, Anton Gurschler/Adrian Telfser (ASV Mals), Marco Danti/Ruben Fellin (ASV Uberetsch/SSV Bozen), Gianmarco Bailetti/Simone Piccinin (BC Milano) and Ernico Baroni/Matteo Massetti (GSA Chiari/MaraBadminton).
In women’s doubles Martina Corsini and Emma Piccinin will try to win the Italian title again, the main opponents being Martina Moretti/Chiara Passeri (GSA Chiari), Alice Pellizzari/Lidia Rainero (BC Lario/CUS Torino) and Sofia Galimberti/Anna Hell (ASV Uberetsch). The last pair in the hunt for confirmation will be the mixed doubles formed by Gianmarco Bailetti and Emma Piccinin (BC Milano) who won in 2024 and will have to watch their backs in this 48th edition from Alessio Catalfamo/Pia Kopania (GS Fiamme Oro/ASV Mals), from Kevin Strobl/Lena Kobler (CS Aeronautica Militare/ASV Mals) from Ruben Fellin/Sofia Galimberti (SSV Bozen/ASV Uberetsch), from Luca Zhou and Anna Sofie De March (ASV Mals) and from Zyver De Leon/Martina Corsini (BC Milano).
In ParaBadminton Yuri Ferrigno (BC Milano) appears the favorite in men’s singles WH1 and doubles WH paired with Roberto Punzo (GSPD). In men’s singles WH2 the challenge seems all internal to GSPD with otre to Punzo, also Salvatore Vasta and Piero Rosario Suma. Among SL3 Tommaso Libertini (Genova BC) seems to be favored over Tim Barbieri (SSV Brixen) as Rosa De Marco appears to be ahead in SU5 over the other two contenders Gianfranco Iaconelli (ASAM) and Virginia Salvo (Easy Play). In the last singles category, the women’s WH1-WH2 Maria Grazia Leone (SEI) appears favored over Martine Mononoulou Ngatougo (ASAM). Finally, the last draw will be the mixed doubles WH where Giuseppe Maurizio and Maria Grazia Leone (ASAM/SEI) will face Salvatore Vasta and Martine Monongoulou Ngatougo (GSPD/ASAM).
