TENNIS – Through this article, written by president Marco Gilardelli, you will gain a better understanding of what the International Club is and what the Italian team has won this year; read about Italian representatives including Adelchi Virgili, Walter Trusendi and Antonio Padovani; learn about the symbolism of the famous silver-gray tie with pink stripes that distinguishes 40 nations.
Jose Mourinho has won and coined the term “TRIPLETE (TRIPLE CROWN)” when he coached Inter Milan, however this title also fits the International Lawn Tennis Club of Italy in this 2014. Although this cannot be a comparison in terms of international prestige, it is only fair to mention that the tennis matches played amongst 40 countries, members of the International Club, are especially represented by the spirit of fair play and friendship. The motto is “Hands across the net, friendship across the Ocean.”
This association was founded in England in 1924 by Wallis Myers, and Italy joined it in 1959. Unfortunately this association is not very well known in Italy, mostly for the lack of sports culture.
The association includes 40 countries. The first two were Britain and France, then the United States. If you visit http://www.ictennis.net/ you will find many interesting facts including its history. The association organizes matches among former internationals at various levels (veterans, active players and juniors). Not only players but also tennis managers take part to these matches where an IC invites players of other countries in order to meet again and remain or become friends.
If you attend an important international tennis event like the Championships at Wimbledon for example, where there is one area of the stands reserved for the International Club, you will see some gentlemen who wear a stylish tie, silvery-gray with diagonal stripes of different amplitudes of pink. Through these ties, you’ll understand that these gentlemen are members of the International Club. You can recognize the nationality of the members by the number and /or amplitude of the pink stripes on the tie. For example, a single stripe: Great Britain. Two stripes: France. If you go on the site of the I C, you will recognize the tie of the International Club of Italy. “It’s always been considered a great honor to be invited to wear the distinctive gray tie with pink stripes.”
The IC of G.B. has several hundred members, the French one as well. Amongst the members of the various clubs there are plenty of former champions and winners of the Grand Slam and Davis Cup from the thirties to the present, but also tournament directors and managers.
Amongst these members there is also the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi, who participated as an athlete to some of the events of the ILTC. Realizing the importance of this international Association, Binaghi decided to support the italian branch of the association with a financial contribution.
And what happened??
A male and a female Italian team have been sent to Mexico City during Holy Week 2014 to take part in the IC Week, true World Championship of the ICs. Both men and women won their respective competitions.
The men’s team has participated in the WindMill Trophy raffled after the Second World War by the King of Holland, and they were victorious against Mexico 2, Luxembourg, Mexico 1 and the United States.
The team, made up of two veterans and two players included two active players, Walter Trusendi and Adelchi Virgili, and two former players Massimo Cudini and Pier Luca Vigani. They won the trophy and for Italy it was the third time.
The teams that had previously won the WindMill Trophy were composed by:
BERLIN 1978
- Veterans Alberto Lazzarino and Rolando Del Bello
- Players Giordano Majoli and Marco Gilardelli
KNOKKE 1997
- Veterans Sergio Palmieri, PieroToci and Marco Gilardelli
- Players Francesco Cancellotti and Paolo Cane ‘
In the women’s competition whose Trophy is the Mercelis Cup in which the trophy and the cup Mercelis, offered by Christiane Mercelis, a Belgian player from the 50’s/60’s, Elizabeth Pulera’ and the young Claudia Giovine defeated Mexico, England and France, winning the trophy for the Italian IC for the first time.
To complete the “Triple Crown”, the Italian Veterans Team won the Potter Cup, the tournament that is held annually in Barcelona, and considered to have the strongest participation amongst veterans. Here you will find the article and pictures from this tournament.
This tournament takes place with a unique the formula of five singles and two doubles, giving the idea of the strength of the Nation.
Antonio Padovani, Giovanni Lelli Mami, Enrico Casadei, Ugo Biagianti, Edoardo Mazza, Massimiliano Pace, Fabrizio Gherardi, Simone Galli and director on and off the field Honorary Captain Nando Cavalleri (captain and player) performed extraordinary by beating in order Britain, Spain (seeded no. 1) and France (who had in turn eliminated the United States), without the need of ever having to resort to doubles.
Now, on the eve of a triangular match, on the grass courts of the extraordinary Hurlingham Club (near Putney Bridge in London) a Club which is even older than the All England Club, the Sunday before the start of Wimbledon with the participation of Italy, Great Britain and Mexico, Italy would like to focus even more ‘on top:
• at the end of July, the Italian team of IC under 16, who won the European poule of the Compass Junior Event in 2013, will participate in the finals which will be held in the temple of Wimbledon at the All England Club
• in September (17/19) the Italian team will participate in the annual tennis-golf tournament which will be hosted by the IC of Italy in Rome.
The Italian I.C. will try then to do a poker or even a pokerissimo, leaving behind Jose Mourinho, standing at just a “Triple Crown”.
For true tennis fans, these victories and conquered titles are a representation of friendship, brotherhood and a common love for tennis and have the same value, or even more.
Marco Gilardelli, President of the International Club of Italy
