“We are a system with a public nature but which tries to deal with sport in a structured way”. Thus the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, during the end-of-year meeting with the press, which took place at the Tennis Club at the Foro Italico in Rome, with the leaders of the members of the “squad”: Flavio Siniscalchi, Head of the Department for Sport, Michele Sciscioli, Head of the Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civil Service, Elena Guerri dall’Oro, Coordinator of the Mission Structure for national anniversaries and national and international sporting events, Federica Celestini, Extraordinary Commissioner of ‘Italian Youth Agency, Marco Mezzaroma and Diego Nepi Molineris respectively President and CEO of Sport and Health and Beniamino Quintieri, President of the Institute for Sports Credit.
Minister Abodi retraced the stages of an intense 2023 of initiatives, projects and events, also outlining a perspective framework for 2024. “In this year that is about to end – he said – we have supported the big events, I will mention two for everyone and they are the Ryder Cup and the ATP Finals, which I believe will be an example for the future. I would add that from 2024 we will introduce a social impact assessment of the sporting events that we host in the country, starting with the European Athletics Championships. In this regard, a permanent coordination cabin will be created with the ministries of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Food Sovereignty: together we will be a point of reference for all the organizers of international events who will find unique support in us. In 2024 we will organize the new Youth Games together with CONI, CIP and our organizational outpost which is Sport and Health. Another mandate objective is to establish and regulate the introduction of physical activity from the first grade”added the minister, who then announced: “Between today and tomorrow we will allocate around 45 million for gyms, thanks to 14,000 funding applications received, while tomorrow the rankings for Sports and suburbs will be published, with 75 million and another 20 million will arrive in March. But we will try to obtain other funds by scrolling the ranking through the PNRR resources. We are doing our duty – concluded Abodi – which is having a clear idea of the sporting model to aim for. The heart lies within the school, in places like Caivano, in the relationship between health and sport, and in a model that will provide answers in a short time.”
Also speaking, sending good wishes to the journalists, were the President of Sport and Health, Marco Mezzaroma, and the President of the Institute for Sports Credit, Beniamino Quintieri. “We are proudly part of a team and we want to make our contribution – said Mezzaroma –. Today some data came out that shows Sport and Health among the public companies with the best results. This honors us and makes us responsible”. Beniamino Quintieri instead underlined how “as the Institute for Sports Credit we are following rather strict but welcome indications to carry out an activity that is in some way joint, by systemising activities with Sport and Health and the Department. In Italy this does not happen often, but we will continue like this” .