| Ruff: Italy will surprise |
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(11/17/06)
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« The nation is united, the players are very tight-knit and the results will illustrate this. The Italian national team will know how to worthily defend itself against the competition». Thomas Ruff, born in Germany in 1969, is the coach of the Italian minigolf team and will not to be thrown off course. In view of the upcoming worldwide competitions in 2007 (which will take place in Canegrate (Milan), Italy) at the end of November he will be busy in the selection of choosing seven athletes to represent the Nation for both the Nations Cup (in May) and the World Championships (in August). Ruff, together with fellow head coach, Swiss born Jean Louis Cazzato, will have difficult decisions to make: « We have a group of 10 athletes, he explains, all of whom are very talented and technically prepared. Three of them will have to remain at home and it certainly will not be an easy decision». Moreover, the Italian national team will be found at the Minigolf Relax Time course at the end of November to see the 18 holes where the worldwide competitions will take place for the first time: «I am not familiar with the course in Canegrate, although a few of our players have already played there a number of times during the Regional and Italian Championships which have taken place there during the year». As for the strongest players on the team: « Massimiliano Crespi, Rudi Giroldini (who recently won the International Competition at Vergiate,), Roberto Garbui e Massimiliano Ciceri». A guess as to what will come to pass at the upcoming world championships? «The favourites are Germany and Sweden followed by Italy, Switzerland and Austria» Ruff responds without hesitating.
Ruff has been leading the national team since 2002, although his introduction between the Federation and being team manager began a year earlier in 2001. Since his arrival, the Italian team has had great results: taking fifth place at the World Championships in Steyr (Austria) in 2005 and fourth place at the last European Cup in Geldrop (Holland). So the dream of winning a position on the podium for the Italian team is not out of reach, after all, they have the home advantage.
(17/11/2006)
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