By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
One of the most decorated Italian and European players in Dino Meneghin talked to Walla Sports about the coronavirus outbreak, especially in Italy which was hit the most.
“Every day is a tragedy in itself. Hundreds of people die, many get infected, and we don’t really see the end. We are very sad. Thank goodness, my family is fine, but I lost two friends in the epidemic, one in the Venice area and the other in Bergamo. We couldn’t even have funerals. It’s hard,” he said.
He noted that one of the reasons he and his family have stayed safe is because they recognized the crisis on time: “We realized that the story was going to be very difficult. We stayed with the dog and the cat and locked the door. We are not young, and we need to take care of ourselves.”
However, he didn’t see that from others, especially young people: “If people had stayed home in the first place, we wouldn’t have gotten to that situation. The young people thought it wasn’t about them, that they were Superman. Until ten days ago, I still saw young people on the streets going out to train or walk around, families walking with the kids, and I just couldn’t believe it.”
As far as basketball goes, he doesn’t think it’s worth it to rush anything: “Health is more important – the athletes, the teams, the fans. Until the danger doesn’t pass, you don’t have to go back to the fields. It’s too dangerous. The Euro, the Olympics, world championships – there’s no point in sustaining them in this situation. It’s a situation we’ve never encountered.”
He offers no special advice, just follow the instructions of authorities until it passes and once it does, Meneghin is sure people will bounce back: “Milan is such an energetic city, there’s always traffic, and now the streets are empty. Just hear ambulances here and there. It’s unbelievable. But this city has a big heart, and when it’s over, everything will explode in a positive sense.”