The National Day of Sport returns on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June. A Special Sports Jubilee edition
- CONI
The National Day of Sport (Giornata Nazionale dello Sport - GNS) returned this year with a special edition.
Established by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through a directive issued on 27 November 2003, the GNS is typically held nationwide on the first Sunday of June. This year, however, the event was rescheduled for Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, to coincide with the Jubilee of Sport.
The beating heart of the event was Piazza del Popolo in Rome, which on Saturday, 14 June, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted the Sports Village: an open-air gym offering free activities, hands-on experiences, and live demonstrations. The event featured live link-ups with squares in other participating regions across Italy, thanks to the collaborative efforts of CONI’s Regional Committees, sports bodies, associations, and local authorities, all united in promoting this major celebration dedicated to everyone who loves and practices sport.
Children and young people in Piazza del Popolo enjoyed a full day of free trials and live demos across a wide range of disciplines: sport climbing, cycling, cricket, baseball, bocce, badminton, canoe and kayak, track and field, sport dance, football, handball, martial arts and combat sports, water rescue demonstrations with canine units, padel, basketball, Paralympic disciplines, volleyball, weightlifting, rugby, fencing, archery, triathlon, shooting, draughts, traditional sports, tamburello, chess, skymano, and road safety education. The stage featured performances and demonstrations of Latin dances, standard dances, solo Latin style, synchro Latin, twirling, tamboo, Muay Thai, and rhythmic gymnastics.
The event welcomed the outgoing President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, and the incoming President, Kirsty Coventry, both arriving in Italy on Friday, 13 June.
Also in Piazza del Popolo, the round table Sport Generates Hope took place, organised by the Dicastery for Evangelisation of the Holy See. Distinguished athletes including Felipe Massa, Gordon Hayward, Caterina Banti, Simona Quadarella, Giulia Ghiretti, Pino Maddaloni, and Damiano Tommasi took part. The “Pilgrimage of Hope” unfolded along the route to the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.
On Saturday morning, the Dicastery for Culture and Education hosted the conference The Drive of Hope: Stories Beyond the Podium at the Auditorium Augustinianum. The conference offered a multifaceted reflection on the relationship between sport and hope, featuring elite athletes, international sports officials, academics, and pastoral sport ministers.
On Sunday, 15 June, a cycling pilgrimage traced a route connecting the four Jubilee Basilicas, with riders setting off from the Basilica of St Paul at 8 a.m. The Jubilee of Sport and the National Day of Sport culminated at 10 a.m. with a solemn Mass in St Peter’s Square, presided over by the Holy Father.
Elective National Council: candidates for Presidency and National Board
- CONI
At 2:00 PM today, marking the deadline for submitting candidacies for the Presidency and the National Board ahead of the Elective National Council scheduled for 26 June in Rome, the following individuals have officially declared their candidacies (listed alphabetically):
Presidency: Duccio Bartalucci, Luciano Buonfiglio, Franco Carraro, Mauro Checcoli, Pierluigi Giancamilli, Carlo Iannelli, Giuseppe Macchiarola, Luca Pancalli.
The Central Electoral Commission has excluded the candidacies of Saimon Conti and Ettore Thermes due to failure to meet the eligibility requirements.
The Commission, noting that Dr Franco Carraro’s candidacy is considered eligible and complete according to the current CONI Statute, and in light of the official communication received on 3 June 2025 from the CONI Supervisory Authority, recognises that the matter requires a primary normative interpretation beyond its remit. Consequently, it refers any further and final assessment on the matter to the competent higher-level decision-making bodies of the previous procedure, where activated, as stipulated by the electoral regulations approved by the CONI National Council on 17 December 2024.
NATIONAL BOARD
FSN-DSA Representatives (7 seats, with a maximum of 5 reserved for Federation Presidents):
Diana Bianchedi, Tania Cagnotto, Angelo Cito (Taekwondo), Giovanni Copioli (Motorcycling), Cordiano Dagnoni (Cycling), Luca Antonio M. Di Mauro, Marco Di Paola (Equestrian Sports), Francesco Ettorre (Sailing), Laura Lunetta (Sport Dance), Andrea Mancino (Billiards and Bowling), Giuseppe Manfredi (Volleyball), Ugo Claudio Matteoli (Sport Fishing and Underwater Activities), Stefano Mei (Athletics), Francesco Montini, Claudio Ponzani (Surfing, Water Skiing and Wakeboarding), Flavio Roda (Winter Sports), Mario Scarzella, Giulia Soresina, Paolo Vaccari.
Athletes (2 seats, with equitable gender representation):
Elena Micheli (Modern Pentathlon), Giampaolo Ricci (Basketball), Valentina Rodini (Rowing).
Coaches (1 seat):
Tathiana Garbin (Tennis), Elisabet Spina (Football).
Sports Promotion Bodies (1 seat):
Cecilia Morandini (ASC), Juri Morico (OPES), Andrea Pantano (Libertas), Salvatore Bartolo Spinella (CSAIN).
Regional Committees Representative (1 seat):
Domenico Ignozza, Bruno Perra, Marco Riva, Sergio Roncelli.
Provincial Delegates Representative (1 seat):
Sergio D’Antoni, Domenico Ignozza, Sergio Roncelli, Guglielmo Talento.
Please note that, in order to ensure gender balance, a minimum of 30% of the members of the National Board must be of the underrepresented gender, with at least four members required to meet this criterion.
Lisa Vittozzi receives the 2024 Collare d'Oro. President Malagò: “The streak continues”
- BIATHLON
Lisa Vittozzi at CONI. The biathlon star was welcomed by President Giovanni Malagò in the Sala delle Fiaccole for the presentation of the Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo (Golden Collar for Sporting Merit), the highest honour in Italian sport.
This marks the second time the Azzurra has received the award, having first earned it in 2023 following her gold medal in the relay at the World Championships in Oberhof (Germany) alongside Hannah Auchentaller, Samuela Comola, and Dorothea Wierer. She was honoured again this year after her individual world title in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic).
“The streak continues,” declared President Malagò as he presented the accolade to the 30-year-old from Sappada, whose impressive career also includes an Olympic bronze in the mixed relay at PyeongChang 2018 (with Dorothea Wierer, Lukas Hofer, and Dominik Windisch), six World Championship silvers, four bronzes, four World Cup discipline titles (three in individual, one in pursuit), and victory in the overall World Cup standings in 2024.
Post-Olympic International Workshop 2025: a first for the Institute of Sports Medicine and Science
- IMSS CONI
The Institute of Sports Medicine and Science of CONI (IMSS) took part for the first time in the 2025 Post-Olympic Workshop (POW 2025). From Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 May, the European base of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Gavirate (Varese) hosted the event organised by the Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT) in Leipzig, which brought together leading international sports science institutes and other organisations involved in elite sport from around the world.
For the IMSS, represented by Director Giampiero Pastore along with Valerio Carlozzi and Dario Dalla Vedova (Sports Science), the workshop was an opportunity to present its ongoing work, in collaboration with various National Sports Federations, in preparation for the upcoming Winter and Summer Olympic Games. Topics of shared interest were presented and discussed, including approaches to technical, scientific and financial support for Olympic athletes; athlete development pathways from junior levels to elite performance and into early retirement; dual career management; Olympic team logistics and coordination; analysis of international medal trends; and aspects of psychology, nutrition, injury prevention, and operational planning.
Giorgio Armani reveals the uniforms of Italia Team and Italia Paralympic Team for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games
- IN MILAN
The official EA7 Emporio Armani uniforms for the Italian teams at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were presented today at the Armani/Privé Club in Milan at Via Pisoni 1. The event was attended by a number of athletes representing a range of sporting disciplines.
Giorgio Armani’s partnership with CONI and CIP continues unbroken, having begun with the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. As Official Outfitter, Armani will provide the complete sports wardrobe for Italy’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The uniforms are rendered in a milky white shade, featuring “Italia” written in prominent three-dimensional embroidered lettering.
Each athlete will receive a kit comprising a down jacket, thermal ski jacket and trousers made from waterproof Protectum7 technical fabric, an oversized bomber jacket with an all-over “Italia” print, a ski suit, a tracksuit, T-shirt, polo shirt, jumper and trousers. The wardrobe also includes accessories such as gloves and hats, along with a bag, trolley, backpack, waterproof technical mountain shoes with anti-slip grip, and running shoes.
“Milan and the Olympic and Paralympic Games: I couldn’t imagine a more stimulating collaboration, uniting the city that has given me so much and sport. Working for and alongside Italian athletes is always a pleasure and a great source of pride. I chose a single colour – white – to evoke harmony with the snow-covered peaks. Among sport’s values, respect is perhaps the most important, and I have distilled it into a vision of simplicity, clarity and purity”, commented Giorgio Armani.
The garments designed for the Olympic team will be available as official licensed products in selected stores and online from November 2025.
Porzio brothers, Weissensteiner, Di Centa, Buffon, Piccinini, Di Francisca and Montano inducted into the Walk of Fame
- CONI
Seven new plaques have been added to the Walk of Fame of Italian sport. At the Foro Italico, CONI President Giovanni Malagò and Secretary General Carlo Mornati unveiled tiles dedicated to athletes who have carried the Italian flag with pride on the international stage: the brothers Franco and Pino Porzio (water polo), Gerda Weissensteiner (luge and bobsleigh), Giorgio Di Centa (cross-country skiing), Gianluigi Buffon (football), Francesca Piccinini (volleyball), Elisa Di Francisca (fencing) and Aldo Montano (fencing).
It was a powerful ceremony (photo by Ferdinando Mezzelani, GMT), bringing together icons from a range of disciplines united by a deep love for the blue jersey and years of dedication and honour. “Franco and Pino will now be together for eternity,” said Malagò, opening the event with the Porzio brothers, who won gold with the national team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. “It’s always been our dream,” they responded. “It would take too long just to list all of Gerda’s achievements,” the CONI President continued, referring to Weissensteiner, the first and only Italian athlete to win Winter Olympic medals in two different sports. The former luge and bobsleigh star said she was “truly honoured” and thanked CONI and the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) for the opportunities received.
Next came Giorgio Di Centa, of whom Malagò remarked: “He’s both the brother and father of champions. His gold medal in the 50 km cross-country ski race at Torino 2006 is an epic feat now carved in stone.” Di Centa responded: “It’s a great honour to be chosen. I thank the military sports corps that raised me, FISI and CONI. We now look ahead to our home Olympics in Milano-Cortina: best of luck to our athletes.”
Then came Gianluigi Buffon, World Cup winner with the Italian national team under coach Marcello Lippi in Germany 2006 whom the CONI President introduced in the following manner: “There’s nothing I need to say about what he’s done in the world of sport and football. Today he’s also a manager. He’s a friend, not just because of the World Cup. He is the greatest goalkeeper of all time,” said Malagò. Gigi was visibly proud: “I thank CONI and President Malagò, who always gives special attention to athletes in all sports. When we take to the field, we fight for ourselves and for our country. And this country needs to recover its memory and remember its own history.”
Also in Germany, but in 2002, Francesca Piccinini won a world title with the national volleyball team. “A plaque that is overdue, fully deserved, and absolutely necessary,” said Malagò. “Francesca Piccinini was a towering athlete with an extraordinary career: it’s hard to count her victories. I proposed this honour ten years ago, but she wouldn’t retire…” The former Italian volleyball spiker said she was “particularly moved” by the recognition.
The final tributes were for fencing. “She is someone who helped write the history of Italian sport. In my mind, I had hoped she would never stop competing. You were amazing,” said Malagò as he introduced Elisa Di Francisca, who won individual and team gold in foil at London 2012, followed by individual silver at Rio 2016. “I retired at a very particular time,” she said, visibly emotional. “I felt I had done all I could, and it was during the Covid pandemic. I wanted to step away at the top and chose to have my second child. Now my children will be able to see this plaque even when I’m no longer here.” Finally, it was the turn of Aldo Montano, individual sabre champion at Athens 2004 and four-time team medallist. “This plaque is a way of saying thank you to a great champion, a sign of recognition and gratitude,” said Malagò. “It’s beautiful and emotional. When you stop competing, you are left with a memory that lasts forever – proof that you did something meaningful for your country,” Montano concluded.
Nuovi ingressi nella Walk of Fame con i fratelli Porzio, Weissensteiner, Buffon, Di Centa, Piccinini, Di Francisca e Montano
Three Regional Representatives selected, completing the Elective National Council
- CONI
The Regional Committees, gathered in the CONI Salone d’Onore, have elected their representatives for the Elective National Council scheduled for 26 June.
Northern Area Representatives: Of 8 eligible voters, 6 cast their votes. Elected: Paola Mora (6 votes).
Central Area Representatives: All 6 eligible voters participated. Elected: Simone Cardullo (4 votes), with one blank and one spoiled ballot. The President of CONI Marche, Fabio Luna, withdrew his candidacy at the start of the Assembly.
Southern Area Representatives: All 7 eligible voters cast their vote. Elected: Bruno Perra (6 votes). Not elected: Angelo Giliberto (0 votes). One blank ballot was recorded.
With the election of the regional representatives, the Elective National Council is now complete. On 26 June, at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre, it will convene to elect the new President of CONI.
Elective National Council: three Provincial Delegates elected
- CONI
On the final day of voting ahead of the Elective National Council scheduled for 26 June, the Provincial Delegates elected their representatives for the Assembly body of the organisation.
Northern Area Provincials: Of 35 eligible voters, 28 cast their votes. Elected: Dino Ponchio (22 votes). Not elected: Stefano Fabio Mossino (4 votes). Two blank ballots were recorded.
Central Area Provincials: All 35 eligible voters participated. Elected: Andrea Dondi (26 votes). Not elected: Massimiliano Milozzi (4 votes). Five blank ballots were recorded.
Southern Area Provincials: Out of 34 eligible voters, 33 voted. Elected: Elisabetta Christiana Lancellotta (17 votes). Not elected: Mariacristina Correnti (15 votes). One spoiled ballot was recorded. At the start of the Assembly, Sergio D’Antoni withdrew his candidacy.
Elective National Council: Marcello Marchioni elected as representative of the Meritorious Associations
- CONI
The Meritorious Associations have chosen their representative for the upcoming CONI Elective National Council scheduled for 26 June. Out of 20 eligible voters, 16 participated, electing Marcello Marchioni with 8 votes. Ingrid Louise Van Marle (5 votes) and Dario Bugli (3 votes) were not elected.
Elective National Council: three DSA representatives selected
- CONI
This morning, the Associated Sports Disciplines (DSA) convened in the CONI Salone d’Onore to elect their three representatives for the upcoming Elective National Council on 26 June.
Each of the following candidates was elected with three votes: Maria Osti (Equestrian Tourism and TREC – Ante), Enzo Casadidio (Traditional Games and Sports), and Edoardo Facchetti (Tamburello). Another candidate, Carla Gobbetto (Orienteering), received one vote, and one blank ballot was recorded. At the start of the Assembly, Alfio Giomi (Orienteering) withdrew his candidacy.
Of the 13 eligible voters, 11 cast their votes. Andrea Mancino, Commissioner of the Italian Bridge Federation, did not register to vote.
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