A general overview of the 2022 season in Italy
Submitted by Lucia de Ranieri
The dragon boat movement In Italy is about to end for 2022 with a great vivacity, the desire to restart after the pandemic was a decisive jump to realize several initiatives and events.
The main events of the year have been the IV edition of the Lilt National Trophy at the end of May in Sabaudia, organized by the "Donna Più LILT Latina" team which saw the participation of 8 BCP crews; and the 10th anniversary of the Dragonettes team which should have taken place in 2020, but due to the pandemic has been held last June, so the team celebrated 10 years + 2 with the participation of 300 athletes, including both BCP and supporters, on the waters of the Po river in the wonderful setting of the “Murazzi” in Turin.
Furthermore, during the year throughout Italy there were numerous initiatives aimed at raising funds to spread awareness about breast cancer, such as running races and walks, both nationally and locally, in which the BCP teams participated to show their testimony and their solidarity.
Some teams held dragon boat open days which have been very successful, to promote this sport within their own territories as a rehabilitation discipline for breast cancer survivors.
As always, the month of October was for all teams a period full of events and increasingly engaging for the local communities that gathers around our teams so that the message of prevention is ever stronger.
Despite the pandemic, two new teams were formed in 2020, the Brentane from Val Brenta and ANDOS Satn Donà di Piave both in the Veneto Region, in 2021 three more new teams were born: the team Pink Tchen Tchen from Pergine Valsugana in the Trentino Region, the Dragon Team Bimbe in rosa from Livorno in Tuscany and the Crisalide Team from Minturno in the Lazio Region.
Two more new teams this year: the Soul Dragons born inside the C6 Siloku Association in Milan and the Medea Dragon Boat from Cremona. What an amazing growth along Italy with 41 teams!
In last weeks, two other groups of breast cancer survivors have been forming in Tuscany, in the cities of Pisa and Chianciano Terme. I extend my special thanks above all else to the commitment of Alessandro Piccardi, vice president of Dragon Boat Italia and vice president of the organizing committee of the 2018 IBCPC Festival in Florence. He is helping the teams in the logistics to support the activity and in finding dragon boats for them.
Unfortunately, due to the economic crisis, it is very difficult to find dragon boats available, as the new dragon boats have very high costs, both those produced in Europe due to the increase in the cost of raw materials, and those coming from China due to the growing transportation costs. The locked-up market for new boats has effectively made it inaccessible to find lower cost second-hand boats, which would be of great help to newbie teams. Let’s hope this all starts to change as the world begins to open and return to pre covid times.
