Olympic flame in Nuoro: "But I, the most successful athlete, have been forgotten."
Paralympic champion Ottavio Demontis: "Not a single phone call from the city council; no prophet is welcomed home."Per restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
On the eve of the Olympic flame's passage through Nuoro, the Paralympic athlete exclaimed: "Amen, I say to you, because no prophet is accepted in his own country." No prophet is accepted in his own country.
The words of the Gospel resonate bitterly today in the voice of Ottavio Demontis, a Nuoro para-athlete, multiple Italian and world freediving champion, as Nuoro prepares to welcome the Olympic flame tomorrow, Saturday, December 13th.
A moment that should unite and celebrate sport, but for him it coincides with a profound sense of exclusion. No invitation from the city administration, no signal from the Department of Sport, nor from the Italian Provincial Paralympic Committee (CIP).
A surprising silence, considering Demontis is now the most successful athlete in the city and the province. His routine speaks for itself: three evenings a week, 600 kilometers between Nuoro and Olbia for training, late-night commutes, days of work, and a dedication that led him to the three medals he won at his first World Championship.
His regret is expressed in his direct and bitter post: "The city administration, and especially its sports councilor, didn't even honor me with a call, much less the Provincial Committee for Paralympic Games. I, who am currently the most successful athlete in my city and in my province, am so wonderful to be a Nuorese and feel like one within..." His words were accompanied by tags for the institutions involved: Mayor Emiliano Fenu, the Italian Paralympic Committee (CR Sardegna), as well as the Nuoro City Council and the Municipality of Nuoro.