On February 2022, the Italian Federation (FIGB) announced the Mixed Team for European Mixed Teams Championships (Funchal, Madeira Portugal • 12 – 22 June 2022): Emanuela Calandra, Bernardo Biondo, Norberto Bocchi, Monica Cuzzi, Eleonora Duboin Marzulli, Antonio Sementa (CALANDRA TEAM).
Therefore, CALANDRA Team has been registered and the team roster has been submitted.
According EBL Rules: “Entries to the team events should be submitted electronically via the EBL Website latest by the 10th of April, 2022. Player names should be registered latest by the 12th of May 2022″.
Yesterday the Italian Federation posted the followings:
“Due to the lack of availability of the previously selected athletes, the EBL allowed the FIGB to register new players. The FIGB President lined up this team to represent Italy in Funchal’s European Mixed Teams Championships”.
Currently neither the FIGB nor Calandra team have explained why the team is not available.
The EBL has not clarified why they allowed the last minute substitution either, although the deadline had already passed.
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Updates – June 6, 2022. Even if the EBL has not published any official note on its website, the EBL President Mr Kamras has confirmed to Neapolitan Club that the Italian Federation made an official request to change the line-up as the Calanda team had withdrawn. Mr Kamras stated: “The EBL accepted the request by the FIGB to replace the team due to extraordinary circumstances”.