After Councilor Zanacchi’s well-known controversy on meetings and disabilities, here is the harsh reply from Luca Ghidini, city commissioner of Forza Italia.
“It is unpleasant to comment negatively on a conference without having attended it. It is even more so when doing so is a councilor of a capital municipality who, when he speaks, should measure his words, representing an institution that deserves to be respected and not dragged into the mud of controversy, especially when useless and specious.
I turn to Councilor Zanacchi who, if he had been present at the meeting organized last Saturday by Forza Italia and Novità a Cremona on the topic of Sport and Disability at Spazio Comune, would have realized the contents that emerged, of a completely different depth compared to the reading he provided. He has in fact unfairly criticized the centre-right mayoral candidate Alessandro Portesani, accusing him of not being aware of the experiences that the city offers. In which passage of the press release issued following the initiative was Cremona’s tradition of inclusive sport claimed by the Councilor called into question?
In reality the event gave the opportunity to Giovanni Merlini – Paralympic athlete -, and Giuseppe Bresciani – provincial delegate of the Italian Paralympic Committee, to talk about their personal experiences and the value that sporting activity has in the lives of people with disabilities, including the most disabling ones. All the positive experiences underway in Cremona were mentioned, recognizing their importance.
The stories of the two speakers, at times moving, made everyone present understand that sport can be the tool for real integration of disabled people also in the workplace and social sphere.
It was also highlighted that many of these activities take place in private structures (rowing clubs) because there are no public structures suitable for hosting these disciplines. Those directly involved said that public facilities are often difficult to reach and this can discourage them from continuing their sporting journey, as testified by one of the two speakers. In fact, in Cremona there is no taxi service for people in wheelchairs. Isn’t it legitimate for a mayoral candidate to place these critical issues at the center of his planning? Or at least listen to them and start a constructive discussion with those who experience these critical issues on a daily basis?
These are ideas for improvement that a councilor attentive to the needs of citizens should make his own, not sources of political controversy.
In the end, given that I had the pleasure of introducing the meeting, I can confirm for the record that unlike councilor Zanacchi, some of the associations he mentioned were present in the room.
I am sincerely sorry that Councilor Zanacchi has diverted such a delicate topic onto tracks that are only the fruit of his imagination.”
Luca Ghidini
Citizen Commissioner of Forza Italia in Cremona
: “Sport and disability meeting, from Zanacchi only claims and controversy”){kind=link}