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The Italian Students Mixed Pairs and Teams Championships were held in Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma) from the 8th to the 11th of November 2012. We are all worried about dropping numbers (70 pairs and 36 teams), but not Roma Eur Bridge School, which lines up 32 students, keen and ready to compete.
The playing pace does not even leave time to breathe, but by the end of the pairs competition Eur Bridge School has already brought home: one gold medal in the first level competition (for students in their second year), Elisabetta Cuocolo – Lorenzo Morganti; two silver medals, Nicola Vitacolonna – Arianna Testa (freshers) and Massimiliano Gatta – Silvia Rapallo (first level); two bronze medals, Cristina Bonvicini – Andrea Rosalba (freshers), Alessandro Coglitore – Michela Salvato (second level).
There is no time to rest and the more prestigious teams competition starts. Eur Bridge School wins the gold medal in the first level category with Elisabetta Cuocolo, Lorenzo Morganti, Massimiliano Gatta, Silvia Rapallo, Giulia Opilio and Valeria Lucente. Two Eur teams reach the final for the second level award. The gold medal is won by Filippo Cavallari, Alessandro Coglitore, Michela Salvato, Giulia Catena and Enzo Livrieri: a nice group of young friends which has been shining in all recent students competitions. The silver medal was won by Anna Castellani, Gianfilippo Pecorini, Fulvio Romano Brusoni and Enrica Cherubini.
Thanks to these great results Eur and its director Mario Guarino are awarded for the second time in a row the prestigious Riolo Trophy. The “Vincenzo Riolo” Trophy is awarded to the club which achieves the best results in all competitions in the Mixed and Women Championships. The trophy was established in 2010 to commemorate Enzo Riolo, who died July 31 of that year. European Champion 1977, Riolo dedicated most of his life to teaching bridge.
This is a triumph for Roma Eur Bridge School. In this school the atmosphere is always happy and friendly. Its students are polite at the table, they always smile, they are nice to one another and to their opponents, they play well but they are always kind. Mario was a well-rounded teacher: he not only taught bridge technique, but also created a unique atmosphere, thus reminding us all that bridge should primarily be fun.
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Carlo Carpentieri
(translated by Laura Cecilia Porro)
November 14, 2012