Martina Guiggi is among the veteran players that will boost the Italian team's line-up to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Bergamo, Italy, May 12, 2016 – Multi-titled Italian club Foppapedretti Bergamo officially announced on Thursday, their acquisition of Martina Guiggi, who is currently in Japan to boost the Italian team’s bid to obtain the Rio 2016 qualification ticket at the Women’s World Olympic Qualification Tournament.
Guiggi, who is a long-time member of the national team and one of the best middle blockers in the Italian Super League, is seen to be a great reinforcement to the Stefano Lavarini-led team for the next club season.
The Italian spoke to Corriere dello Sport from Tokyo, on this career development.
“I am delighted to have signed with one of the best clubs that have made history in volleyball,” Guiggi said. “This is a team that have done well in spite of the difficult years it has gone through. They obtained excellent results in the Italian Cup this year. I am happy to play along with many friends and team-mates from the national team in this team. I think it will be an interesting year. I am motivated and cannot wait to start this new adventure.”
Guiggi was born and raised in Pisa. She began her career in 1998 playing for Volleyball Pecciolese in the Serie C1. She was then recruited to be a member Club Italia in 2000. The following year, she debuted professionally for Agil Volley Novara in Italy’s first division league.
She joined the national team in 2002 and made her senior national team debut at the Montreux Volley Masters in Switzerland, where they won the silver medal. She has won may medals with the Italian squad, including two European Championship gold medals, two World Cup gold medals, a silver medal and three bronze medals at the World Grand Prix.
Guiggi continues to blossom as a major international and club player. She played for foreign club Guangdong Evergrande in the 2013/14 season and she is still very much active as one of the key players in the national squad.
Guiggi and her team-mates will give their all-out best in Tokyo to obtain the qualification ticket to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and if they succeed, Italy will make its fifth-straight Olympic appearance.
Italy first made their Olympic appearance in Sydney 2000, after they won the World Olympic Qualification Tournament. They qualified in Athens 2004 through the same qualification tournament when they finished third. During their best run, Italy won back-to-back World Cups in 2007 and 2011 that gave them direct qualification to Beijing 2008 and London 2012.