No one like them ever. Best Ever: Basketball is wearing blue again.

Three times in a row on the roof of the world it is something beyond the ordinary, entering the dimension of a legend while it is still in history.

Let’s do this, to understand better, let’s align what has happened in the last five editions of the European and World Championships, with Portugal always being the stage for the blue performance: 2017, Vila Nova de Gaia, European Champion; 2018, Madeira, World Champions; 2019, Guimares, World Champions; 2021, Madeira, European Champion; 2022, Funchal, World Champion.

Every year a win, every final a success, every game a gold medal.

The Italian national basketball team for athletes with Down syndrome, organized by Fisdir (the federation dealing with sports for people with intellectual and/or relational disabilities), won the world title for the third time in a row and dominated the final with Hungary , size 36 to 12.

Italy’s all-time World Cup stats are insane. Games played: 12. Wins: 11.
Defeats: 1. Points Scored: 380. Points Accrued: 152.

In Italy we have the Stephen Curry of basketball players with Down syndrome.

In his second world championship, he was again the best scorer: Davide Paulisstar of the Oristano team, scored a total of 55 points and 20 in the final with Hungary.

But they were all decisive for a win that will make Italy enter basketball history, not just for people with Down syndrome: Fabio Tomao (10 points total), Alessandro Greco (22) Andrea Rebichinic (10), Alex Cesca (7), Francesco Leocata (23) Lorenzo Puliga (2) and Chiara Vingione (6), the only woman on the roster.

“A fantastic group, I have to thank everyone for what they gave on and off the field”: Giuliano Buffagnic, 46 years old, computer technician by job, coach that the world envies us for passion, is the architect of these successes, lived knowing how to fly over the difficulties of the Paralympic sport, and those for athletes with Down syndrome in in particular, every day he stands in front of him: «Our work comes from the area, in the clubs all over Italy, with technicians and players with whom I am always in contact. Then we come together on the occasion of the various rallies before the competitions ».

He tells shortly after the celebrations made by a walk along the boulevard and an ice cream all together, for early dinner on the way back to Italy at night: «We are a team that makes the group its strength. In this edition of the World Cup there were not some of the architects of the earlier successes, but the new ones were just as good. It is the success of the group and not of the individuals, as always ».

The Azzurri began to dominate from their qualifying round matches to the final: first with the 31-to-14 victory over Hungary, also facing in the final; then with Saudi Arabia 58 to 6. In the semi-finals, they defeated the hosts of Portugal 20 to 14.

The final was a triumph for Buffagni’s team, even though they had to recover 6-2 for Hungary at the start, finishing the first half 15 against 8 to the final score of 36 against 12. With Buffagni, a leader of the national team of the bench Francesca D’Erasmo and Mauro Dessì: «I was afraid of Hungary, all the more after I measured their value in the first game of the World Cup. As a result of our challenge, they presented themselves with countermeasures today and at first they surprised us. However, we got a good read of the game, thanks in part to the technical support of Francesca D’Erasmo and Mauro Dessì, who gave our boys information on how to attack their opponents. The players received a great welcome and as soon as we took the break, we also calmed down. We played very well, the way I wanted, and I’m happy to be able to use everyone in the final as well. This is the third world title, it is definitely the best because there were many valuable teams. I am very happy, it is a great satisfaction and I would not want more ».