Ettore Dernini, the president of Teco Corte Auto president, ponied up the euros for Italy's first national table tennis tournament since the lockdown in March. With the naming rights bought and paid for, the table tennis superfan Dernini proudly hosted the Top 10 "Teco Trophy" tournament at the Sports Hall in Cortemaggiore. Of course, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging out of control, safety was paramount. Using hygienic protocols developed by Germany and Sweden over the summer, the tournament offered a 10-person round robin (a.k.a. "Italian round") tournament for both women and men. World #126 Mihai Bobocica won the men's event. The 34-year-old went an impressive 8-1, netting 17 points, pursued closely by the Mutti brothers, Leonardo and Matteo, who finished with 16 apiece. "At the first place, I am happy because we are back to compete here in Italy, and then, obviously, also for the victory," said Bobocica, "When I play it is always to get the best possible result... I still have a lot to improve, but the feelings are positive. I have to thank the organizers, because they worked hard to allow us to return to the field in conditions of extreme safety." 14-year-old Nicole Arlia (pictured, topmost), ranked #13 in the world among cadet (under 15) girls, bested the women's field. Although Arlia tied 19-year-old compatriot Gaia Monfardini with 17 points apiece, Arlia held the all-important head-to-head tiebreaker. "How nice is to be back on the field," said the victorious Arlia. "I am truly grateful to Teco Corte Auto Cortemaggiore for organizing this tournament, which allowed us to break the ice after a long period of inactivity and a few months of training only. Personally, I had a wonderful weekend and it was even more so because I really didn't expect this result. I won a lot of matches 3-2 and even when I won 3-0 the sets were always close." While the day belongs to Nicole Arlia and Mihai Bobocica, Teco Corte Auto President Ettore Dernini can also proudly celebrate in the continued success of Italian table tennis. In addition to this first post-lockdown national tournament, his company sponsored the winning team at the 2020 Women’s Italian Cup in January. Clearly, there is another Italian renaissance afoot, and Ettore Dernini is the driving force behind it.

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