I'm back. A few days ago, while I was wondering from where to begin to tell about my memories, I read of the commemorations of the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Milan. So I decided to tell about my childhood and boyhood experiences at the sports arena (Palasport) of San Siro in Milan.
The San Siro sports arena was opened in 1976 and was greeted with amazement, even by those who were a little older than 8, as I was then. Only a few mountaineer pointed out that it could have some problems in case of snow (Aldo Giordani, the great basketball journalist, told it). One of the first events that took place there was "It's a knock out." I would have liked to see it live, but at home they thought I was crazy, my mother told me, "we would not go even if we lived in front of the sports arena." They said it was an event made for TV, which was undoubtedly true, but there was a live attendance, so they must have obtained tickets somehow.
I do not remember which was at first occasion when I actually went there. The sports I went to see there were three: athletics, cycling and basketball. Every year a tennis tournament was also played there, but that I had never gone to see him: I'd go later, in the '90s, when it was played at the Assago Forum. For athletics I remember the two editions of the European Championships: I've recently learned they were in 1978 and 1982. Of the first I remember especially the women's high jump, with the duel between Simeoni and Holzapfel of West Germany (Ackermann of East Germany was not there). At the time, they jumped in silence, there was no rhythmic clapping, but we made a poor show: the speaker had to call not to disturb the German. I also remember Mennea, I thought it was in the 200, instead I read that he was in the 400, 200 at that time were not even run. Then the pole vault(obviously men's, at that time it was the only one) with 4 at 5,45 and 12 failed attempts at 5.50, with victory for Olympic champion Sluzarski. I also remember the victory ceremony of men's high jump, held the day before, with the then nineteen Yashenko, like the sports hall, destined to a bad end (yes, of the Champions I have mentioned only Simeoni is still alive).
In 1982, I remember especially the two races of the high jump, both with 3 athletes to try the world record. Among men a Swiss won with 2.34 (the world record was 2.35), among women I don't remember.For cycling I went to see every year the Six Days of Milan, sometimes even twice in a season. Once I even gave up the match at the San Siro stadium(where my father went regularly) for it. I saw both Moser and Saronni (my father was a fan of the former, I of the latter), but not in the same year.
For basketball I watched mainly the Milan-Cantù matches, as my father was a fan of the former and I of the latter. I have remained in mind 4 matches: the first two are those of playoff 1981 both won by Cantù, the first by 2, the second by 1 after double overtime. It was a best of 3 playoff: in between there was the Milan victory at Cantù. So Squibb Cantù (Squibb was the sponsor) got to the final against Bologna and won: I tried to go to watch it, but found no tickets.
About the third I actually do not remember anything, but I remember what happened just before. The matches were disputed immediately after the football ones (the venue was opposite the stadium) that day at San Siro there was Inter-Napoli. To get there in time we left the football match at about the 40th of the second half, with Inter 2-0. On the stairs we heard of the 2-1, arrived at the indoor stadium we learned that Napoli had equalized. That game was also famous because it was also the last covered by Beppe Viola, then my favorite sportswriter: after asking if the MVP had been San Gennaro, he suffered a stroke and died.
The last match was also the last time I went to the arena: it was in November 1984. I remember Riva making 10-of-17 in 3-pointers (today it would be no big deal, but then, the first year of the 3-point shot, it was), Cantù was long in the lead but eventually lost.I thought I'd be back for the Six Days of 1985 and I was also looking forward to the athletics meeting scheduled for March, but nothing of all this: happened in January 1985 the snow brought down the roof. Immediately they spoke to repair it in years, then there were bureaucratic obstacles and at the end the venue was torn down. I saw the hole for long from the football stadium, I believe there are some office towers now .
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