For Italy’s Golden Players, basketball does not stop at 40. This July, more than 500 women and men in their 40s to 70s will head to Corinth for the FIBA Masters Open, while scientists study the group to track how sport affects ageing.
The Golden Players movement has grown year on year in Italy, bringing together players from across the country who keep competing long after their traditional playing careers have ended.
“It is a message for us athletes of a certain age: at this stage of life it becomes a push towards the future, an incentive to commit, to stay in shape and to adopt a healthy, steady lifestyle,” said Virgilio Marino, president of Golden Players Italia.
Corinth, Greece, will host the FIBA Masters Open World Championships from 4 to 12 July, with teams arriving from across the globe. Italy will send 13 men’s and women’s national teams.
In a few years, the Golden Players project has become one of the most dynamic forces in international masters basketball. It has received an invitation from FIBA, the global governing body of basketball and the only authority recognised by the International Olympic Committee, along with backing from the Italian Basketball Federation.
The players are also at the centre of a longevity research project coordinated by Massimo Zollo, professor of genetics at the Federico II University of Naples. He describes them as “a living laboratory of longevity”.
The research links physical activity, biomarkers and trajectories of biological ageing. It combines genetic, epigenetic and metabolic approaches, including analysis of the epigenetic clock, which estimates biological age from DNA methylation patterns and compares it with chronological age.
The model focuses on the interaction between genetics and lifestyle. Evidence suggests longevity has an inherited component of between 30 percent and 55 percent, with the rest shaped by environment, diet and physical activity.
According to the research, regular exercise acts on several biological pathways involved in ageing, including inflammatory regulation, energy metabolism, mitochondrial function and autophagy.
The latest research also points to measurable benefits of sustained physical activity in older people, including reduced chronic low-grade inflammation, better mitochondrial function, maintained insulin sensitivity, and preserved cardiovascular and neuromuscular function.
Studies on ageing and twin cohorts, including NASA’s Twins Study on physiological adaptations, show lifestyle can significantly influence gene expression, even among people with identical genetic backgrounds.
Scientists are particularly interested in masters athletes because they pair advanced age with consistently high levels of structured physical activity, making them a valuable population for longevity research.
Beyond competition, the movement also works as a social network across Italy, with squads drawing players from around the country and creating opportunities for connection and inclusion through sport.
As part of preparations for the FIBA Masters Open 2026, the Golden Players have organised more than 70 training camps and tournaments across Italy ahead of the event in Greece.
Read more from Euro News.
