Photo by Pawel Jakubowski Photography

After warming up the engines, now the car of the Memorial Francesco Calise 2021 edition has started and will be ready to go, or rather, after an edition canceled due to a Pandemic! By now the collaboration between Gaeta handball 1984 and Sporting Club Gaeta is giving the hoped-for results, especially after having completed two indoor handball championships, despite all the difficulties related to the lack of athletes and a playing field for specific training, for Serie B and Under 19, thus completing what was planned. Now the bet continues… it's time for “BEACH HANDBALL”.

Throughout Europe, Covid 19 is continuing to put the various tournaments to the test and some have not even been organized this year and others are still in doubt and here is that for the organizers of the Calise Cup it is a source of pride and pride to be able to take part of the small circle of tournaments that try to survive Covid 19, obviously always respecting the pandemic, and which are included in the European Tour of the European Handball Federation (EHF). Everything is planned, starting from the morning of Friday 25 June until the evening of Sunday 27 June, it will be played continuously on the various fields between Arena Beach, Aurora, Miramare and Serapide and an Open Day for youngers of Beach Handball and mini beach handball activities will also be organized. Mini Beach Handball open to all children aged 6 to 12 in collaboration with the Campus of PGS Don Bosco Gaeta, Flamingo Fitness, the Apeiron Recreational Association and others who want to join in the discovery and practice of a discipline that bases its spirit on Fair Play. Thanks must be given to the Serapo Bathing Establishments which, as every year, will host the teams free of charge in their structures and will make the playgrounds and various services available to users. President Ciano Cosmo says: "This year the lack of schools to host the teams is penalizing us, not a little, but for us it is essential to restart again and show that we are here, whatever the cost and we want to show that Beach Handball is alive and sport is one of the engines of restarting the country for social, economic and tourist reasons.

One month after the registration deadline, thanks to the dissemination and involvement work, both sporting and touristic through social media and for the production of videos and photos that are already flooding the network in all its forms, where the beauties and the sporting vocation of the city are the central theme, we are sure that this promotion can bear fruits. Two women's teams from Croatia have already signed up, some Italian teams and if there will be less restrictions in the Netherlands, we will also have “Orange” teams. As match officials we will have the presence of a female pair from Poland and three male pairs from Italy, Germany and Portugal, all EHF and IHF match officials. While an Italian delegate and one from Serbia, both EHF.

So the internationality of the tournament is already safe ". The white-red President continues: "We are happy with how contacts are going, in consideration of the problems due to Covid 19, in fact, about 30 days after the registration deadline, we have initiated contacts with Croatian, Slovenian, German, Swiss teams and with Dutch friends who give the certainty of being there if the restrictions on the pandemic in their country decrease, and there are also contacts with the Italian national team and other formations of the beautiful country. We are already partially satisfied because we managed to involve 6 nations and we are happy that our effort can serve to give a strong sign of restart to the entire city.

I feel the duty to thank the sponsors, the merchants, the hoteliers, who despite the economic problems are close to us, as well as all those who have supported us for 32 years and in particular the Aurora, Miramare, Selene and Serapide bathing establishments, and all bathing establishments that have embraced, since 1989, the Francesco Calise Memorial, making their facilities available free of charge and for their great availability towards our event, and it is thanks to them that the CALISE CUP has become one of the beach handball events most known and among the most important tournaments in Europe.

See you in Gaeta on 25,26 and 27 June ...