“After four years, the renovation work on the school camp seems to have been completed. They seem to be because the facility was inaugurated on June 28 without the athletes being able to use it. Closed in October 2020 for scheduled works lasting 210 calendar days, it was never understood why this took so long, who was responsible and who was responsible for the four years of inconvenience that saw entire generations and international level athletes training for street. No thought was given in advance to granting at least a limited location, such as the adjacent market area, or to making specific agreements with the Navy for the facilities in via Cugini. Inauguration without the leaders of the Federation, without prominent personalities, how could there be international athletes of yesterday and today, much less some representatives of the Pietro Mennea Foundation, the greatest Italian athlete, who loved our city so much and supported the renovation of the plant with its visits”. Antonello Ciavarelli, coordinator of the Taranto Redenta citizen committee, writes thus in a note.
“It is inaugurated, but there is still a lot to do. It is missing the approval, the stands are miserable to host spectators for international events, there is no warm-up area, an appeal chamber. So much public money, so many years of running on the streets to find ourselves with an inaugurated facility where athletes still cannot train because it is incomplete. For all this, should we also say thank you to the local administrators who would claim credit? But for what? To do what in any other city they do in 3 months? The only thing that for now can be appreciated is a well-kept turf, a reactive track and a very respectful and competent sports custodian. Starting from these positive aspects must be the lever to immediately open to training, maintain and manage the facility in the best possible way and propose high-level events. The athletes of Taranto and the citizens deserve a sports facility that works at its best and is worthy of a city with ancient origins”, concludes Ciavarelli.
