One million and 760 thousand registered or registered and 5,166 associations and amateur clubs less. So much has the Covid-19 pandemic cost the Italian sports system. This is what emerges from the report “The Numbers of Sport 2019-2020” prepared by the Study Center and Statistical Offices of Coni and presented today at the Foro Italico by the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee, Giovanni Malagò, by the President of ISTAT, Gian Carlo Blangiardo and by the Secretary General of CONI, Carlo Mornati.
In 2020, the sports movement promoted under the aegis of CONI collected over 13 million 113 thousand registered people and 115 thousand sports clubs, recording, compared to the previous year, a decrease of over 1 million and 760 thousand registered / registered, to be charged mainly due to the health emergency caused by the pandemic. Overall in 2020 there are 11 million 857 thousand registered athletes or registered practitioners; 731 thousand are managers; 490,000 technicians and 101,000 match officials.
Malagò: urgent demographic aspect, reverse course
«The number of members has dropped to 2008 levels – said Malagò opening the presentation – There has been a decline in associations but honestly we would have thought of larger numbers. It is also foreseeable that there will be a significant loss in the 2021 sports year despite the widespread trend of the sports culture of our country. The demographic aspect has become urgent. «It is the first argument, the first instance from which our world must have answers» added Malagò. And again: “We must reverse the course, we need a strong incentive for births, otherwise within a few decades, and according to an Istat study, we will lose 12 million people”
Sedentary lifestyle is reduced
Card-holders are decreasing but, according to Istat surveys on the year 2021, sedentary lifestyle continues to decrease – to 33.7% – (to 35.2% in 2020, while it was even 41.2% in 2013) even if Continuous sports practice is contracting among the youngest, with sedentary lifestyle on the increase among adolescents: those who have paid more than others for a health emergency that has affected lifestyles and behaviors linked to sport. However, a return to normalcy is expected in this age group in 2022. More generally, despite the difficulties, the population has tried to remain physically active.
Blangiardo: we are further behind than other EU countries
«Sports practice is essential because sport is enjoyable and health, a way to improve the quality of life – highlighted Blangiardo -. Furthermore, sport is also an economy and the changes that take place also cause effects in this sector. A storm happened with the pandemic. Somehow there has been some progress in sports practice, we are a country where physical activity is increasingly done, but with the pandemic the first important sign we see is that adolescents locked up at home who have suffered from a lack of sports practice and socialization activities. More generally, in the field of sports we have to work harder than in other European countries ».