Our Club & Team

Our Club

AS Londra Sud was started in 2009.  A group of parents were reminiscing about “the good old days” of Centro Scalabrini, Friday night clubs and the conversation inevitably came to the OGI.  Our part of London hadn’t participated for many years in the Olimipadi Gioventù Italiana as the Scalabrini team hadn’t taken part for a while and the Arrotini team, based in south east London, had also stopped competing.

So, we decided to do something about it.  A committee was formed of Piero Zanelli, Vincenzo Zaccarini, Nadia Lunghi, Sandro Lunghi & Marcello Moscarello to start a team.  We rang round a few people, mentioned it to Italian friends we knew, raised a bit of money through a lunch and some kind donations, and we had a team!!!

From small acorns come big oak trees.  At that first OGI we had 35 children.  In 2016 we had over 100!

The committee has grown.  It is now comprised of Sandro Lunghi (President), Mario Carrozzo (Team Manager), Marcello Moscarello, Monica Moscarello, Livia Scurr, Vincenzo Zaccarini, Morgana Zanelli & Piero Zanelli (while obviously not forgetting Nadia Lunghi & Mauro Solini, whose seats at the committee table are always there). 

Yes, the main aim of the club is to participate in the OGI but we also organise fund-raising events … lunches, dinners, quiz nights, bingos, discos / club nights.  The main aim of these events is to raise money for the team but also to create and cultivate a community of young Italians (and their parents!) in the south of the Thames.

Our Team

Team Manager – Mario Carrozzo

We represent south London in the Olimpiadi Gioventù Italiana and we attract children from far & wide, but mainly from the areas of Croydon, Purley, Sutton & Wimbledon.  Our training base is at Sutton Arena and we train on Saturday afternoons, from 3.30 to 5.30.

Our aims are very simple:

1. we want children (and parents) to enjoy training and OGI;
2. we want to create a young, thriving Italian community in south London; and
3. we want to get together regularly to fundraise for the team and nourish this community.

AS Londra Sud has participated in four OGIs.  Our first, in 2010, was packed with incidents, including Team Manager Sandro Lunghi going home with chicken pox!  Still, the team did us proud, winning 23 medals and winning the Sportsmanship Trophy!

In 2012 the team grew to a 76 athlete strong team.  During these games, we managed to win 75 medals, including 26 gold medals, and we retained the Sportsmanship Trophy.

Our third OGI in 2014 saw us participate with 89 athletes, winning 87 medals overall and being adjudicated the Les Rickard Trophy for the most points won per athlete.

In 2016, we managed to send a green army of 113 children, winning 119 medals in all, 40 of them gold, and winning the OGI shield for the first time!

At the end of each OGI, we hand out awards to the most deserving performances during the games. 

Here is a list of previous winners