After the success of the Under 17 team of the Hogs Reggio Emilia, which achieved a remarkable seventh place in the national championship out of 24 participating teams, another important note of merit arrives for the young athletes. Two emerging talents, Giovanni Bertani and Tommaso Di Dio, were noticed by the national team coaches during the finals and called up to the Under 17 national team gathering.
The path to being selected in the national team began in May, with the first evaluation camp which saw the participation of 98 athletes from all over Italy. During this camp, the coaches made an initial selection, which was subsequently confirmed or revised during the national championship finals.
In the end, 32 athletes were called up for the second meeting, held on the weekend of 15-16 June in Varese. Among these selected, the names of Bertani and Di Dio stand out, who have demonstrated their value on the field, earning the opportunity to compete for a place in the team that will represent Italy at the European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, in September.
The coaching staff will now have the difficult task of selecting the best athletes for the IFAF European Junior Flag Football Championships. The call-up of Bertani and Di Dio is a recognition of their commitment and skills, as well as a source of pride for the Reggio Emilia Hogs, who see the work carried out in schools and on the field with the young Reggio Emilia athletes materialize.
