It took place at the “Serg.Magg. CQS Marco Venezia” of the Pozzuoli Air Force Academy, the awards ceremony and closing of the Ludi Sportivi 2024, which saw the aspirants of the course triumph for the second consecutive year Centaur VI. The winners, in addition to placing the 2a star on the course tracksuit, will enjoy an important boast: for the whole of next year, in fact, they will be the holders of the Challenge Cup of the Ludi Sportivi, boasting among other things the unwritten title of the most athletically performing team.
The highly coveted trophy will be jealously guarded by the young "Centaurs" who exactly one year ago surpassed the other 2 courses in the many sporting competitions, demonstrating commitment, determination and, above all, esprit de corps, the winning keys of the entire competition which are an honor to their seniority.
The ceremony, presided over by the commander of the Air Force Academy, general of the air division Luigi Casali, was preceded in the morning by the football tournament, won by the course Dragon VI.
Competitiveness, student spirit, sense of belonging, are the characterizing elements of this event that the young athletes, divided by course, eagerly await and live with passion, animated by the desire to compete and win.
The sporting competition, inaugurated last March 11th, saw the students participate with the utmost loyalty, commitment and observance of the rules and compete with a chivalrous spirit in the following disciplines: athletics, swimming, shooting, football, basketball, volleyball, and sailing (with two different boats inside the Gulf of Pozzuoli).
The confrontation is not limited only to the field: even in the stands they are a challenge ground for the spectators, who praise their colleagues and allow themselves the freedom to tease, in an atmosphere of healthy joking, even towards their older colleagues who are race become opponents to beat.
In this year's edition, two academic records are worth mentioning: that of the women's 50 meters freestyle, obtained by the aspiring Gloria Caruso of the course Centaur VI, with a time of 28"44 and that of pistol shooting, obtained by the aspiring Luca Giovanni Vecchio of the course Centaur VI, with a score of 87/100.
The aspiring Simona Machetti, of the course Centaur VI was awarded the ADRA Trophy (Arditi Distruttori della Regia Aeronautica), awarded to the visitor who achieved the best score in the individual tests. The award is a combat dagger commemorating the heroic deeds of the ADRA Battalion - the current distinctive symbol of the raiders of the 17th wing of the Air Force
“…7 disciplines, 3 teams, 1 winner, honors and congratulations to the Centauro VI course, well done!” these are the opening words of the speech by the commander of the Air Force Academy. “…This year too you put on a 360° show. Firstly for the commitment and determination shown in every test, it is not common to see this willpower, and the desire to bring out your course. Today it wasn't just Centauro VI who won, the winners are all those who significantly improved their performances, all those who supported their teams even in the most difficult moments, never lacking their support, those who train with determination every afternoon to be able to give the best to your team. Congratulations for the willpower, for the team spirit and for the fair play shown. Everything you have put in place honors the Air Force Academy, the course commanders, the ranking officers and the chosen ones".
At the conclusion of his speech, before officially declaring the Ludi Sportivi 2024 concluded, General Casali, addressing the other two courses, wanted to highlight some passages taken from a preface of a book on "Luna Rossa", written by Sir Peter Blake, winner of the America's Cup of Sailing: “… I admired your sportsmanship, your tenacity, your enthusiasm for life, this time you didn't win, but you certainly didn't lose, you lose when you lack the courage to come back. Not winning is part of the learning process that leads to success.".
