Luca Banchi lets three go free

The work of the men’s national basketball team continues ahead of the double-header against Great Britain. In Livorno, Luca Banchi’s group held its second training session today, at the end of which the technical staff cleared Charles Atamah, Leonardo Marangon and Cheickh Niang to leave the gathering.

The three athletes (along with Luca Possamai, who remains at the gathering) had been “invited” by the technical commissioner to take part in the February 23 and 24 training sessions with the dual purpose of reinforcing the roster in the preparation phase and granting them the opportunity to experience the environment of the Senior National Team. A sign of continuity and a glance at the future: Atamah and Marangon are reigning European Under-20 Champions while Cheickh Niang, Saliou’s younger brother, will be part of the Under-18 National Team that will play the European Championship in Trento and Rovereto this summer.

“The need,” says Luca Banchi, “is always the usual on these occasions: to live with the emergency while trying to find team chemistry as quickly as possible. There are many new faces and the pleasant surprise of having three players from Olimpia available right away, veterans of the success in the Coppa Italia but who once again showed a strong desire to wear the National Team jersey also thanks to the club that gave them the opportunity to do so.”

Aldo Seghedoni

.

“Also in this gathering,” the Tuscan explained about the four players invited to Monday’s and Tuesday’s training sessions, “we tried to take advantage of the opportunity to summon four youngsters whose qualities can aspire, in the short and medium term, to the Senior National Team. Marangon and Atamah are reigning Under 20 European Champions while Cheickh Niang is a very promising athlete who is showing relevant things in a virtuous reality such as L’Aquila and who next summer just in Trento will play the Under 18 European Championship. Luca Possamai is now one of the points of reference for Libertas Livorno.”

On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Azzurri will fly to Newcastle upon Tyne, site of the match against Great Britain on Friday, Feb. 27 (8:30 p.m. Italian time, 7:30 p.m. local live Sky Sport and DAZN). They return to Italy the following day for the return match at the Modigliani Forum in Livorno on Monday, March 2 (7:30 p.m. live Sky Sport and DAZN).