By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Two months after waking up from a coma to conquer a huge win in his battle with myeloid leukemia, Achille Polonara received an emotional greeting back in PalaSerradimigni on Sunday.
“I expected a great welcome given the affection of the Sardinian fans, but it went even further,” explained 34-year-old Polonara, reacting to the standing ovation before the meeting between host Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari and Guerri Napoli in Round 16 of Italy’s LBA UnipolSai Regular Season.
“I have been coming here regularly with my family. Now we are looking for a school for our children, and then we will get back to our normal routine,” he added during a postgame press conference, revealing his family plans in Sassari.
“Now I am part of Dinamo, and I will start experiencing the locker room. Something I certainly would not have thought of two months ago, once I came out of a coma,” said the Ancona native.
On the 2025-26 schedule, the team coached by Veljko Mrsic combines the 2025-26 domestic challenges with a continental campaign in the FIBA Europe Cup. A 5-10 record is tied for 11th on the LBA standings, only two games over the relegation zone, with a 0-3 tally describing the run in Group N of the Europe Cup’s Round of 16.
Since starting his professional career in 2009, Polonara made his way to 179 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games with Kirolbet/TD Systems Baskonia, Fenerbahce Beko, Zalgiris, Anadolu Efes, and Virtus Segafredo Bologna, represented Italy in multiple major international tournaments, and won the Europe Cup in 2019 and was also featured in 14 Basketball Champions League games of the 2017-18 season with Sassari, among more major highlights over the years.