The prize-giving ceremony for the 13th edition of the project “Basket: una scuola di vita” (basketball, a school of life) has taken place this afternoon in the conference hall Giancarlo Gualco at the PalaWhirlpool.

This initiative, which was launched by Pallacanestro Openjobmetis Varese and organized thanks to the contribution of TEVA – a pharmaceutical multinational company and Top Sponsor of the white-and-red club – under the sponsorship of the Municipality of Varese, FIP Lombardia and the Regional Committee of CONI and with the support of the Association Amici della Pallacanestro Varese ONLUS, in addition to hosting approximately 700 students at the championship games played by Openjobmetis, has offered over 1,200 students from 15 different schools in the province of Varese the opportunity to meet the athletes in their classrooms.

In the latest edition, the main topic dealt with during the meetings was “Basketball: an opportunity for everybody.” For the second year in a raw, the players of Openjobmeting have been accompanied in turns by the athletes of Cimberio Handicap Sport Varese, the wheelchair basketball team of Pallacanestro Varese which has just ended a brilliant Serie A season with a 3rd place in the absolute ranking, a 3rd place in the Italian Basketball Cup and the European final in the Challenge Cup. Thanks to the athletes’ testimonies, the students could understand the efforts, sacrifices, joys and commitment of the players of the two teams representing Varese and, most especially, the significance of sports for the disabled.

The students’ creativity was also rewarded by Pallacanestro Openjobmetis Varese, which selected the best paper and the best banner displayed at the PalaWhirlpool:

• Best paper award: Giovanni Bollati, class 2A of Liceo Scientifico “A. Tosi” in Busto Arsizio



• Prize for the best banner displayed at the PalaWhirlpool – Casa Sacro Cuore at Bogno di Besozzo



• Best drawing award: Ginevra Saporiti from Istituto Figlie di Betlem in Crenna di Gallarate

Pallacanestro Openjobmetis Var­ese is very happy of the success obtained by this project which, once again, has attracted a host of young students towards basketball, allowing them to discover the real life of a professional athlete from behind the scene as well as the positive social impact that this sport can have.