Turin, 3 March 2023 – The Torino Tennis Talents project implemented by the charity I Tennis Foundation, which has already seen its protagonists achieving excellent results during the first two editions, will continue in 2023.
Through the technical supervision of Gipo Arbino and the opportunity to closely observe his player, the champion Lorenzo Sonego just back from his success over the top 10 Auger-Aliassime, the six talented fellows will thus have the opportunity to compete in national and international tournaments, an essential aspect for improving and attempting to climb the professional tennis.
The young “Turinese” tennis players included in the programme are Edoardo Zanada (22), Ludovico Madiai (20) and Chiara Fornasieri (20) – also present in the first two editions -, and new entries Luca Serra (17), the very young Beatrice Barra (12) and the Ukrainian Maria Lazarenko (14).
The six scholarship holders, chosen on the basis of their tennis level, aptitude, dedication on the court and the family’s financial possibilities, will again this year receive important support for participation in the most important national and international tournaments and educational and relational support to improve motivation and aptitude. A project that confirms, together with its “big brother” Little Tennis Champions, the great effort of the I Tennis Foundation to support the dreams of young racquet talents.
“TTT is a project in which we believe so much and the boys and girls who have been awarded the scholarship have given their best” explains Simone Bongiovanni, founder and president of I Tennis Foundation. “Given the commitment shown by each of them, together with our partners, we have decided to renew our support for these young athletes and to introduce new young talents. We set up I Tennis Foundation to support less fortunate kids who have tennis talent, but unfortunately not the adequate means to play this magnificent sport. The vocation of our initiatives is exclusively humanitarian, which is why in this third edition we wanted to include Maria Lazarenko, a fantastic Ukrainian girl whom we have already been helping since last year”.
A match at the Under 14 World Championship in Tarbes, and then a phone call. It was enough, in fact, for the I Tennis Foundation to take action to help the Ukrainian girl and her mother finding refuge in Italy in 2022. “I met Maria and her mother at Les Petit As in 2022. They had impressed me a lot on a personal level and we had already established a relationship of trust in those days, Simone Bongiovanni says. “Then at the beginning of March, her mother called me because the situation in Ukraine had become unsustainable and they were very afraid. So, we coordinated their journey and arrival in Italy”.
The I Tennis Foundation has always supported Maria’s tennis activities and, after an individual scholarship, this year decided to include her in the Torino Tennis Talents project.
Truly excellent results were achieved during the first editions by the fellows above all those achieved by Edoardo Zanada and Chiara Fornasieri, who were able to obtain their first ATP and WTA points, and by Alessia Tagliente, who did very well in earning a four-year scholarship with the Mississippi State University in the USA.
Promoted and financed by the I Tennis Foundation, the Cecilia Gilardi Foundation, the CRT Foundation and prestigious partners such as the Koelliker Group, CRAI, Assist Digital, ATLA, Mollo Noleggi and Compet-e, Torino Tennis Talents, in collaboration with the Circolo della Stampa Sporting and under the patronage of the City of Turin, has confirmed the scholarships that will be distributed according to annual commitments and the programming agreed upon with Gipo Arbino and the Circolo staff.
During the presentation, honorary membership awards of the I Tennis Foundation were presented to Alessandro Gilardi, Guido Giubergia and Giovanni Quaglia.
Gipo Arbino, Lorenzo Sonego’s coach: “I am very happy that I Tennis Foundation has been able to continue this wonderful project again this year, which is more profitable the longer it goes on. The financial help that will be given is fundamental to be able to broaden their experiences. I must say that I like these girls and boys very much, they have a good Italian ranking, but as for Lorenzo I can’t give an opinion. However, I believe a lot in this project because Lorenzo was not a predestined. I am therefore convinced that the development of youngsters at a young age gives more chances to bring out players”.
Lorenzo Sonego, professional tennis player, best ranking n° 21 ATP and testimonial of the TTT project: “This project is magnificent and made by people who want the good of others. A great tennis player can really come out of here. There are so many young people in the world who have talent but lack the means. Giving these kids an opportunity is a beautiful thing. I am really happy to be part of this association that was founded by Simone Bongiovanni, with whom I also have a beautiful friendship relationship, to give these kids an opportunity to experience something unique on and off the court.
