The sixth edition of the festival comes to an end with an emotionally charged closing ceremony Invictus Games held in Düsseldorf, the 2023 edition of the Games saw 21 nations participate with over 560 competitors.
The Italian Team, made up of 15 athletes from the Defense Paralympic Sports Group, returns to Italy with 9 medals of which 3 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze.
The first gold of the Italian Team was obtained by the team captain, Brigadier General Roberto Como of the Army, in the 1500 meters race in the IT3 category during the second day of the games.
General Como then enriched the medal table by obtaining a silver in the fourth day of competition in the 4-minute indoor rowing competition and a bronze in the 1-minute test in the IR3 category.
In the afternoon of the fourth day in the various swimming categories the Italian team won 6 medals.
The retired Army officer cadet Matteo Pieropan obtained 2 golds in the 100 meters freestyle and the 50 meters backstroke and 2 silvers respectively in the 50 meters freestyle and the 50 meters breaststroke, all in the ISA category, again in the ISA category of 50 meters backstroke a bronze went to the first airman of the Air Force Maurizio Panella.
There was also a medal in table tennis where a bronze was won by the team. adm. Salvatore Vasta in the double seated category ITT1 and ITT3 with the Polish Kosiaca.
“Exceptional! The result of Team Italy makes me proud not only as you belong to the Armed Forces but also as an Italian citizen. These guys are the concrete representation of very high moral values and incredible resilience. During each competition it was tangible on their faces how driven they were by great motivation and extraordinary determination.” These are the words expressed by the Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.
A result that consolidates the sports group and pushes it to work even harder to continue giving its best also in view of the seventh winter edition in Canada in 2025.
Captains of their soul, as a passage from the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley states, together with the motto "A Home for Respect" were the phrases that accompanied the men and women who participated in the Invictus Games and who have found a second chance in sport.
