After a surprise call: Luxembourg para hope can be Italian champions

Matteo Scuto will not forget this phone call so quickly. When the Athlete of the Luxembourg Paralympic Committee (LPC) put on a few months ago, it was still skeptical. The manager of an Italian first division club had just made him an offer. « At first I thought it was a fake call. He asked me if I was interested in playing in Italy, » reveals Scuto.

« I told my parents about it. Because communication in English was not optimal, I asked my father, who speaks Italian, to talk to the manager. I wanted to avoid misunderstandings, » explains Scuto, who celebrated his European Championship premiere for Luxembourg in September 2023.

In November, the LPC athlete played for the first time for Olimpicus Valverde in the A1 Paralimpica Classe 6-10 series, i.e. the highest Italian league in its start class. « I got to know my two teammates for the first time, that was funny, » says Scuto, who is involved in the LPC Table tennis icon Olga Nemes worked together.

The fact that the DT Wiltz player can also compete for the club from Sicily is because the Italian team championship is only held on a few weekends a year. Several encounters take place on the individual days. « The club pays me the flights, the hotel and the food, that was my only condition, » reveals the 24-year-old.

In November Olimpicus Valverde won all three games. Scuto himself prevailed in all his duels. « It is a great opportunity to gain experience. I am very satisfied and hope that I can play a few more seasons for the club. I can play in Italy against many direct competitors, » said Scuto, who has a sensory and motor neuropathy (Charcot Marie Tooth).

And the next highlight is already waiting at the weekend. Then he can crown himself in Terni with Olimpicus Valverde. Because the club from Sicily qualified in April in Scuto’s absence for the play-offs. There, Scuto and Co. first meet Circolo Tennistavolo Molfetta on Saturday. « If you think about it, that’s pretty blatant. »

Elite box shrinks

On Wednesday, however, the official squad presentation of the LPC was due for Scuto on Wednesday. Just like Philippe Hein (para-table tennis), Roberto Lomba (Para-Judo) and Massimo Saputo (para-light athletics), SCUTO is also part of the promotional squad again this year. The members of the funding cadre should make the leap into the elite squad of the LPC within a maximum period of eight years. In these, those athletes who are already part of the extended world elite are already belonged to the extended world elite due to their sporting achievements.

While it with Joe Schmit (para climbing) In contrast to the previous year, another athlete made it into the promotion squad, the elite cubare has shrunk to two athletes. Because Tom Habscheid (para-light athletics)Joé Kurt (Para Triathlon) and Joël Adams (Para-Radsport) ended their active competitive sports career, only racing wheelchair user Katrin Kohl and para sports shooter Steve Nothum were appointed to the Elite Cader.

With Paul Kremer (Para-Radsport), Roby Mengen (para table tennis), Amsal Redzepovic (Para-Radsport), Caecilia Riedl (Para-Judo) and Sandra Schwinninger (Para swimming), five other athletes also belong to the LPC association squad.

« We are happy and proud of what we have achieved in the past few years. Now we will pass on the baton to the new generation, » said Habscheid, who crowned his career last summer with the bronze medal in the shot put at the Paralympic Games in Paris. With SCUTO, the next LPC athlete International could now cause a stir.