This Thursday, the press room of the Olympic Stadium in Rome welcomed the national presentation of the values of “Genoa European Capital of Sport 2024” and the program of over 100 events of 32 different disciplines that will make up the twelve months of sport in the Ligurian capital.
The Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci, the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, the Minister for Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, the Presidents of CONI and CIP, inaugurated 2024 as the “European Capital of Sport”, Giovanni Malagò and Luca Pancalli and the President of Sport and Health, Marco Mezzaroma.
“Today it is an honor to present the great project of Genoa European Capital of Sport 2024 at a national level here at the Olympic Stadium in Rome – said the mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci –. The Municipality of Genoa believes in the values of sport and in the education of young people also through sports practice. From the outset we supported this extremely important event for the image of the Ligurian capital, for the tourist return it can generate but also for the positive impact it has brought to the Genoese sports facilities. Practicing sport means health, brings benefits on a physical and psychological level and contributes to the growth of good citizens. This 2024 will be a year full of winning events, opportunities for development and social and economic growth for Genoa: today this presentation in Rome confirms the success of this great program that we have planned, demonstrating the growing international scope of our city”.
“Genova – said the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi – is making an important contribution to the inclusion of sport in our Constitution. Genoa’s sports agenda has its own maturity and stability. I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Centenary Societies and Genoa is aware of its roots, where sporting history is intertwined with civil history. Liguria is the first region for school gyms, with an average of 60% where the national average is 40%. Genoa can count on extraordinary associations, which are the connective tissue of our country. The new degree course in Sports Sciences in Policies and Governance for Sport is a further piece of a wonderful year, with over 100 events, aimed at improving people’s quality of life, thanks to sport”.
To underline the value, also in terms of tourist attraction, of an entire year of sporting events for which a direct impact linked to overnight stays alone of over 9 million euros is estimated, was the Minister for Tourism, Daniela Santanchè. “The sport – has explained – it is very important for tourism and we have already seen it in Genoa with the success of “The Ocean Race – The Grande Finale” last summer. Bringing together sport, tourism, culture and food and wine is truly fundamental: sporting events help tourism in its offer, especially for deseasonalization as demonstrated by the large calendar of national and international events in Genoa”.
“Genoa as the European capital of sport is an opportunity to develop the territory – he underlined instead Marco MezzaromaPresident of Sport and Health –. It is a further incentive to do better. With Liguria and Genoa, we at Sport e Salute now have a consolidated collaborative relationship that is increasingly developing. Already for the systems in Liguria alone, together with the Region and the municipal administration, we have invested around 36 million euros. Genoa has a great sporting tradition, it is a natural and urban theater of the highest level, it has everything to be able to develop ever greater sporting practice and a lot can also be done in the important segment of sports tourism”.
The CEO also echoed him, Diego Nepi Molineris who announced the birth in Genoa “of ten “Illumina” facilities, one for each municipality, which will concretely represent the social contract between young and old. They will be places of sport and generational inclusion, where it will be possible to practice different disciplines such as climbing, skateboarding , 3×3 basketball, gentle gymnastics and which include meeting and aggregation spaces. Sport and Health is very much reflected in Genoa which is a city of “first do and then communicate” and the close synergy already started with the Municipality and the Region will allow us to equip the Genoese area with these facilities and to launch, through sport, an important message of inclusion for us”.
“Genoa European Capital of Sport 2024” will allow the city of the Lantern to be at the center of the international sporting scene with a very rich schedule of events, including the stage of the unified Premier Padel circuit which will see Sport and Health as the organizational partner of FITP. In addition to the major competitive events of a national and international nature, there will be events and activities aimed at promoting the culture of sport and its fundamental values of accessibility, integration, social inclusion and well-being at 360 degrees. A year of commitment aimed at women and men of all ages and abilities with attention to the renewal of systems and sustainability.