Coni Trophy in Sicily, the youth festival with President Mattarella

“Thank you girls and boys, there are a wonderful number of you, you will live these days with enthusiasm and you will always remember them; you will express your talents and friendship with each other, sending a message of sporting spirit. For this reason, I am happy to declare the Games open” : President Sergio Mattarella thus declared the under 14 Coni Trophy open this evening in Catania. The ‘mini Olympics’ organized this year by Coni Sicily (led by president Sergio D’Antoni), in collaboration with the Coni Territory Management and in partnership with the Sicily Region, the Municipality of Catania, the Municipality of Palermo and ITA Airways, began yesterday with the Coni Fair Play Games, multidisciplinary sporting activities based on Olympic values.

Today, after the first races in Catania, the opening ceremony, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the president of the Senate Ignazio La Russa, the president of the Sicily Region Renato Schifani, the president of the Sicilian Regional Assembly Gaetano Galvagno, of the Mayor of Catania Enrico Trantino and of the leaders of Italian sport, starting from the president of Coni Giovanni Malagò, the General Secretary Carlo Mornati and the vice president Claudia Giordani. Exceptional torchbearers are the Olympians Rossella Fiamingo and Alberta Santuccio, gold medals in the team sword competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Also expected are Luigi Busà (Sicilian from Avola, gold in karate at Tokyo 2020), Manila Esposito (silver in Paris 2024 in the general artistic gymnastics team competition and bronze on the beam), Matteo Melluzzo (sprinter from Syracuse present in Paris 2024 and European gold with the 4×100 relay in Rome 2024) and ‘the Shark’ of Messina Vincenzo Nibali (winner of Tour de France and Giro d’Italia). Furthermore, Tina and Milo, the mascots of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, will be at the ceremony. On Sunday, at the end of the competitions, the Foro Italico Umberto I in Palermo will host, at 6pm, the Closing Ceremony during which the winning Region will be proclaimed. 4,500 participants are expected in Sicily, including athletes and technicians, never so many in previous editions, representing the 21 Regional Committees of Coni: among the 39 National Sports Federations and the 5 Associated Sports Disciplines (also a record) it will be the first time at the Coni Trophy for billiards, bowling and, as a demonstration discipline, cricket which will be part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic programme.

Abodi praises triathlon: “A sport that makes you want to be practiced”

“This is the result of an overall vision that starts from the school and reaches excellence. If we look at the growth of members it is constant and it is a sport that makes you want to be practiced. We have a perspective for the next few years, here it is established everything that sport can do. The main objective is the consecration of sport as an instrument of sociality, diplomacy, physical and community well-being”: thus Andrea Abodi, minister for sport and youth, at the presentation of the Cup stage of the triathlon world which will be held in Rome tomorrow.