(ANSA) – REGGIO EMILIA, 06 DEC – The mayor of Reggio Emilia Luca Vecchi this morning delivered a copy of the Primo Tricolore to Nicolò Melli, basketball player of Olimpia Milano and of the Italian national basketball team. “I am thrilled and honored to receive this award – said the captain of the Milanese team – which testifies once again how strong the bond between me and the city of Reggio Emilia is. Not everyone receives this recognition”.
Melli, born in ’91, was born and raised in Reggio Emilia both humanly and sportingly in the Reggiana Basketball where he scored the first baskets. Then he took off in his career up to the NBA, the highest world-class American league, wearing the jerseys of the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks. Before returning to Milan, where he had already been in 2010, he also played in Treviso, Pesaro, Bamberg in Germany with which he was MVP in the Euroleague and Fenerbahce Istanbul in Turkey. He is the first Italian player to have won the championship in three different countries. Finally, at the last Olympics in Tokyo, Melli held the rank of captain with the Italian national team of which he has long been a pivot.
“Nicolò is the son of this city – said the mayor Vecchi in the ceremony that was held this morning in the Sala del Tricolore in Reggio Emilia – He showed not only competitive qualities out of the ordinary, but he was able to maintain a human trait that made him a point of reference and an example for many “. Also present were Antonio Galli, president of the Italian Basketball Federation Emilia-Romagna (“Nicolò is a source of pride not only for the entire region, but for all of Italy”, he said) and Davide Giudici, president of the provincial Fib Reggio Emilia (“Nik is a true champion, on and off the pitch. From an early age he had considerable pressure and physical injuries, but he was able to overcome them with talent and inner strength “). Absent coach Ettore Messina for a last minute commitment. Melli was then “interviewed” in videoconference by the eighth grade pupils of the comprehensive Leonardo da Vinci institute, the same school he attended as a boy. Finally, he then received the tricolor flag from the mayor’s hands. (HANDLE).
.
Source From: Ansa
I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years now and I have worked for some of the biggest news websites in the world. My focus has always been on entertainment news, but I also cover a range of other topics. I am currently an author at Global happenings and I love writing about all things pop-culture related.
