Greetings from Authorities XXXI Edition 2023

“This annual event brings us together to experience sports as a game that unites us, breaking down cultural, racial, and religious barriers. Diversity, in all its forms, is richness. As long as sports remain a game, it will benefit not only the body but also the spirit. Starting from sports, we must all have the courage every day to challenge ourselves, seeking what is good not only for ourselves but for everyone. Just as we must challenge ourselves with others, it is also necessary to do so with God. This will help you break out of the mediocrity that, in sports jargon, is expressed as a draw. The true athlete in life is the one who doesn’t settle but aims to win their own race. The victory of life is the toughest but the most beautiful. Best wishes to all!”

† DON PINO Caiazzo

“The annual appointment represented by ‘Minibasket in Piazza’ is eagerly awaited with enthusiasm by young participants and their families because sports unite, strengthen bonds of friendship marked by healthy competition. ‘Minibasket in Piazza’ has now become an event of great international significance that aligns well with Matera’s dimension following its European recognition in 2019. This event, in affirming the educational values of sports, makes a decisive contribution to the education and training of young people, spreading the values of solidarity, loyalty, respect for the individual, and adherence to rules, which are the founding principles of every healthy society. Through sports, young people exchange their experiences in different languages and cultures, fostering friendship among peoples and asserting the supreme good of peace. This tournament is a commendable demonstration of how sports are also synonymous with commitment, the desire to test oneself, overcome one’s limits, achieve one’s dreams and goals, feeling part of a group where a strong bond is created among all members. Once again this year, the evocative stage of Piazza Vittorio Veneto will provide a unique and immersive environment to bring young people and families closer to this prestigious sporting event.”

SANTE Copponi

I warmly greet the organizers of the 31st edition of the sports event ‘Minibasket in Piazza’, which once again this year will allow a significant number of children to ‘invade’ the city of Matera and its surroundings with their smiles, curiosity, and zest for life. The educational role of these events, aimed at the younger generations, has always been at the forefront of attention for the State Police, who, as part of dedicated initiatives, are constantly engaged in constructive dialogue with young people on issues of legality, believing that from their ideas and choices, the foundations for a fairer and safer society can emerge. Therefore, I wish the young athletes and all those who, with dedication and passion, promote events like this, promoting healthy competition, respect for rules, friendship, and sharing, to once again spend a festive week together with the welcoming community of Matera.

EMMA Ivagnes

“The thirty-first edition of ‘Minibasket in Piazza’ confirms Matera as a capital of hospitality, thanks to a sports event whose significance, however, goes well beyond sport and mere, albeit important, physical exercise. We are all aware that sport is a school of life, being a tool for education in healthy competition, solidarity, loyalty, respect for others and rules. It strengthens bonds of friendship and unites. It promotes growth and social inclusion. It starts from a healthy competitive comparison to become a means that fosters exchange, cultural sharing in the broadest sense. In a word, sport is an ambassador of peace and cohesion: in this particular historical moment, we need it. To the many young people and their chaperones, therefore, a warm welcome from the Province of Matera, always attentive to the ‘citizens of the future’ and their education. To the organizers, instead, gratitude for the insight in conceiving the event, which has steadily become a fixed appointment through which Matera not only continues to welcome but also becomes a venue for discussion, sharing, and growth.”

PIERO Marrese

“Matera is a city of culture in every sense, a European Capital of Culture and UNESCO Heritage site that looks with great interest at sport as a tool for growth and social inclusion, for engaging young people in physical activity, and for fostering respect for rules. Sport is health, not only that, it becomes an opportunity for city attraction, for envisioning a city that embodies social interaction, participation, and the occupation of urban spaces that are not merely designated for the transit of vehicles and people, but for the meeting of people themselves. The ‘Minibasket in Piazza’, now an important event for the city, has gained international relevance thanks to the passion and professionalism of its organizers. I extend my greetings and support to the youth, their families, athletes, and organizers, as well as a warm welcome on behalf of the city of Matera.“

DOMENICO Bennardi

“With pleasure, I extend my greetings to the young protagonists of the 2023 edition of ‘Minibasket in Piazza’ and to the organizers of the event, who deserve much credit for once again creating a splendid opportunity for meeting between youngsters from diverse backgrounds on the common ground of the values inherent in sport, such as loyalty, the spirit of healthy competition, respect for rules, and for the opponent. Sport has always played a formative role in the lives of young people, preparing them for life by laying a path on which to educate them about the rules of coexistence according to a set of shared values. The Carabinieri are frequently involved in initiatives with young people and students, especially within the framework of protocols for education on legality, and therefore, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to be with them on this occasion as well. To all, my sincerest wishes and a warm welcome to Matera.”

Col. Nicola Roberto Lerario

The 31st edition of ‘Minibasket in Piazza’ renews its appointment with tradition to promote the essence of our movement and the beauty of the discipline. Congratulations to Pielle Matera, to the institutional representatives, and to all those who contributed to the organization of this new sports celebration, celebrated in its authentic sense. The international tournament, reserved for 48 teams composed of children born in 2012-2013, is not only an occasion for competitive comparison but also an opportunity for cultural exchange and sharing, a way to enrich one’s personal baggage and seek to draw new technical and educational elements to transfer in the journey towards a future as protagonists. It becomes essential to treasure these great experiences and transform the emotions lived into the will to build others in the wake of enthusiasm. It’s a manifestation that lives in the vein of integration, in harmony with Matera, with the concepts of brotherhood and equality, expressed in the noblest way, through a concrete example linked to the enhancement of the principles that make the world we pride ourselves on honoring every day special, making it a lifestyle and a guiding star to become better people. On a personal note, and on behalf of the Italian National Olympic Committee, I reaffirm the feeling of gratitude towards the organizers and extend heartfelt encouragement to all the children who will take the field with playful spirit to try to write the first page of a long history of satisfaction and success. And to continue living a beautiful dream in the name of sport and the ideals that have always characterized it. Have fun everyone!

GIOVANNI Malagò

“Thirty-one years of Minibasket in Piazza. Heartfelt wishes and congratulations. With continuity over time, built on the logistical capabilities of the organizers, good relationships with institutions and their participation, and the quality of the values ​​underlying an event that started with 16 teams in 1993 and now hosts 64 teams from 4 continents. Sharing, inclusion, getting to know each other and being known, loyalty in both the game and everyday life. Minibasket in Piazza has allowed young people from many parts of the world to compete and bring home a broader range of personal, technical, and social experiences over all these years. It has been ahead, too, on the major issues of our society. In Matera, more than ever, we play minibasket, but we learn for life. Moreover, it’s magical how a historic city, known throughout the world and rightfully the European Capital of Culture in 2019, welcomes, nurtures, and takes care of the participants, almost as if they have always been citizens of Matera, as important as the stones that characterize this city in its universal and peculiar way. With minibasket, the youngsters in Matera are protagonists for a week, but not only that. They are also protagonists for fruitful dialogue with our minibasket sector. A prelude to activities for an entire season and much more, in Basilicata, as in all of Italy.”

Ad Maiora.“

GIOVANNI Petrucci

“Initiatives like ‘Minibasket in Piazza’ can only receive our full support here at Sport and Health. Over 31 editions, this event encapsulates some of our key actions: sports activities for the youngest, social integration, cultural exchange, and even the tourism development of the area through sports events. The social and sporting essence of Sport and Health is thus highlighted by an event that also merits bringing a fascinating and beloved sport like basketball into the heart of enchanting cities such as Matera and its surroundings.

Moreover, in such a delicate historical moment as the one we are experiencing, organizing an initiative where children from different countries are welcomed by the families of their peers, then come together to compete on the court and later enjoy outings and excursions, represents an important gesture towards peace and true sportsmanship values, deserving of our applause and support.”

Avv. VITO Cozzoli

Here we are again, applauding the magic of “Minibasket in Piazza”. An event that has managed to reach all continents, a gathering capable of coming back stronger than ever after the pandemic, putting sports and minibasket “at the heart of the village.” It has been doing so for 30 years, quite literally. And now, it is gearing up to do it again, in the streets and among the people of Matera and its province. Beyond the borders of the region, reaching all the way to Bari. Many centers involved, the square as the common denominator, the symbolic place of meetings, exchanges, and mutual influences.

In the name of minibasket, which is already a sport in its own right but has yet to adopt the unbridled competitiveness, the tension of success at all costs. And indeed, the result is only a detail in a week like the one you are about to experience. There is a hall of fame, but it serves only to remind us of how many kids have passed through here and left with Matera in their hearts. Yes, there are winners, but together with everything else, with what really matters, with the stories that peek out behind every prize awarded. Accompanists ready to smile, instructors encouraging participation, always and in every way. Because by winning, perhaps, one becomes a champion. But it is only by trying and trying again that one discovers what it means to be men and women. Meter by meter, kilometer by kilometer, starting from the youngsters you are.

Matera, in these days, will be the center of the world. Train yourselves to carry it within you.

MARGARET Gonnella

These have been difficult times, and we all know it very well, but the heart of Matera has never stopped beating, never surrendered, never gave up. Because the Tournament of Matera, its Minibasket in Piazza, goes beyond the norms of a normal event involving children. Matera welcomes them, from different countries and from different starting cities, it lets them play but at the same time, it cuddles them. It embraces them with that special emotion that only this city can give. Children, parents, and instructors who will experience the tournament, let yourselves be embraced by this emotion and keep it for a long time because you will carry it in your hearts for a long time.

Good luck to everyone in the tournament, and thank you to those who never give up.

MAURIZIO Cremonini

The 31st edition of MiniBasket in Piazza. Just these numbers should make it clear how much this sports adventure is felt and participated in by the city, the region, and also by many international communities. This historic event organized by Pielle Matera is an international appointment that is based on values ​​of hospitality, brotherhood, and belonging, values ​​that are reflected in the city of Matera, which has been the setting for the event for years, attracting tourists in every season who appreciate it for its aesthetic characteristics. After the pandemic and despite the great tragedies that afflict this land, between wars and deaths at sea, sports must lead the way in restoring hope for the future, especially for the younger generations who seem increasingly disoriented. It is for this reason that we must appreciate the constant commitment of many clubs that continue to invest in sports and sociality, teaching and strongly believing in the values ​​that each discipline wants to disseminate.

I wish many more years of life to “MINIBASKET IN PIAZZA”, and on behalf of the entire sports community that I am honored to represent as president of CONI Basilicata, I hope it is a beautiful week of sports and sharing, where the smiles of children and young people prevail. It is for them that we must unite our forces because alone you can run faster, but together we go far. Good luck!

LEOPOLDO Desiderio

The International Tournament “Minibasket in Piazza” is back: an immensely important event that represents the passion of Basilicata for basketball in the best possible way. All this is possible thanks to the commitment that the organizers and all the volunteers have been guaranteeing commendably for over three decades. On behalf of the Regional Committee of FIP Basilicata and personally, I greet all the participants who will be guests of the City of Matera from June 18th to 24th, 2023, and I wish them to spend a wonderful week dedicated to minibasket. Have fun everyone!

GIOVANNI Lamorte

“Sports help cultivate dreams, and this is a dream that recurs and comes true annually. The foresight of those who conceived an event like MiniBasket in Piazza, which has been ongoing for decades now, finds resonance today in all the actions that the world of sports wants to integrate. Integration, sports and territorial promotion, the ability to welcome, the beauty of feeling united under the same roof, and believing that what marks the path of sports is the way forward: it leads to a better quality of life and society that welcomes us. On behalf of Sport and Health Basilicata, thanks go to Pielle Matera, the municipal administration, those who collaborate, and all the people who silently work behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs perfectly. The Lucanian sports community will always be grateful to you for this.”

MATTEO Trombetta

“For basketball enthusiasts, the game knows no age. Watching the youngest players is always a matter of interest, discovering small talents who may one day tread the most prestigious courts in Italy, Europe, and why not, across the ocean, is almost like seeing those adults who challenge each other on the painted lines of the most extraordinary arenas in the world. Matera has understood this for over 30 years now, and ‘Minibasket in Piazza’, from a small local event in its early days, has become a great international tournament that has also involved the surrounding territories of the beautiful city of the stones, including our Santeramo.

As the mayor, I am delighted and honored that Santeramo is part of this great and beautiful sports and entertainment machine that this year involves 48 teams from many different countries, and I am equally pleased to be able to offer the beauties and delicacies of our territory to 16 of these 48 teams, as well as to show the legendary hospitality of southern Italy in person to two teams, the Lithuanian and the Monegasque, who will come to live a wonderful family experience right here in Santeramo.

Events like Minibasket in Piazza are good for all of us, not only for the extraordinary number of people it mobilizes, coming to discover our wonderful territories, but also for the human capital (increasingly numerous) that is brought into contact, creating experiences, cultural exchanges, and often lifelong friendships. In the end, there will only be one winner of the trophy, but truly, we will all be winners. And then, who knows, maybe as it happened in the past, always in Matera, with the soccer tournament dedicated to Gaetano Scirea, by going to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, to the PalaSassi, or to all the other arenas that will host the event, someone among us unknowingly will have seen the first steps under the basket of the new Nikola Jokic, the new Doncic, or the new LeBron!”

VINCENZO Casone

“The international tournament ‘MINIBASKET IN PIAZZA’ is certainly a virtuous example of how sports are a useful and in some ways necessary means to create and consolidate healthy relationships. Hundreds of children have the opportunity to make acquaintances, to exchange experiences in different languages ​​and cultures. They play together despite having many differences: religious, physical, or cultural, because differences remain just differences and nothing else, teaching us adults to live by respecting others without overpowering them. It is from this perspective that I can only express satisfaction for the participation in this beautiful life experience, not only sporting, of the children of the City I have the honor to represent. I salute with applause the organization of the tournament for its constant and excellent commitment. A special greeting goes to the young basketball players who will be hosted in our City, with the wish that they may feel at home and that they may strengthen, through sports, the values ​​and skills that will make them conscious citizens of Europe and the World. Good tip-off to everyone.”

CORRADO NICOLA De Benedittis