Three years to go until the Lausanne 2020 kick off

There are just three years to go until the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 kick off, with the Opening Ceremony due to be held on 10 January 2020. As the countdown continues to what will be the third edition of the Winter YOG, we take a look at what fans and athletes can expect from the host city.

Organised for young people, by young people

Young people are playing a key role in the planning of the Games, with the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee recruiting a core team with an average age of less than 30. To ensure that young people are involved throughout the decision-making process, Lausanne 2020 has also formed a Youth Council to discuss ideas and give young people from around Switzerland the chance to have their voices heard!

Plenty of Olympic history to draw on

Lausanne is also known as the “Olympic Capital”, and has been home to the Olympic Movement for more than 100 years. As well as the IOC headquarters and The Olympic Museum, more than 50 international sports organisations are also based in Lausanne, meaning sport is well and truly in the city’s DNA! The organisers are now set to leverage this Olympic heritage to make the YOG a truly an unforgettable event!

YOG for the whole of Switzerland and beyond!

Lausanne 2020 will extend across the whole of Switzerland. The bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events all set to take place in St Moritz, in the east of the country. The town’s historic bobsleigh track first opened in 1904, and has hosted events at both the 1928 and 1948 Olympic Winter Games as well as a record 22 FIBT World Championships. Other sports will be spread across Lausanne and the Vaud Alps, while the neighbouring French Jura will also host some sports.

A state-of-the-art Youth Olympic Village

A brand-new building shaped like an Olympic ring will house the Youth Olympic Village during the YOG. Located in the heart of the city’s university campus, it will be converted into student accommodation after the Games, providing a lasting legacy for the university. The Village will include two sports halls for training, 1,700 beds in studios and apartments, and a 7,800m2 plaza, where athletes will be able to socialise and learn about different cultures and Olympism.

A brand-new sports venue for Lausanne

Figure skating, ice hockey and short track speed skating events will be able to take advantage of the new sports centre planned for Malley. The new facility will include an ice rink with a capacity for 10,000 spectators, which will be designed as a multifunctional hall; a practice rink for 300 spectators; an outdoor skating rink in winter; a 50-metre swimming pool; a diving pool; a multi-function pool with a moveable floor; and a paddling pool. The centre will also house table tennis and fencing training centres. After the YOG, it will provide a superb sports facility for local residents and will also be home to Lausanne’s leading ice hockey team, as well as hosting matches during the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships.

National Committee press release. Agreement signed with the Foro Italico University of Rome

The 1055th meeting of the CONI National Committee was held at the Foro Italico this morning. The proceedings were opened by approving the minutes of the previous meeting of 22 November and following on from 2 December. In his statements, President Malagò emphasized the success of the Collari d’Oro awards ceremony, expressed satisfaction with the Italian sports results achieved in the last month and announced a meeting for the following day between CONI and the Minister of Sport, Luca Lotti, to review a number of legislative issues concerning the world of sport. Malagò then highlighted Coni Servizi's excellent results, congratulating President Franco Chimenti, MD Alberto Miglietta and all the directors for having increased revenues by EUR 10.5 million over four years (going from EUR 135.5 million in 2012 to 146 in 2016), in view of a steady reduction in the value of the CONI service contract which fell below the threshold of EUR 100 million for the first time in history (108.8 in 2012 and expected to be around 98.7 for 2016), with savings of EUR 10.1 million.

These savings, which are the result of careful management of resources, are used by CONI towards further funding for National Sports Federations and Associate Sports Disciplines: The Committee has awarded EUR 250,000 to the Italian Winter Sports Federation [FISI] and the Italian Ice Sports Federation [FISG] in special funding barely 400 days before the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics; and EUR 100,000 to the Italian Hockey and Skating Federation [FIHP] and EUR 250,000 to the Italian Federation of Judo, Karate and Martial Arts [FIJLKAM] to prepare for the new Olympic sports of skateboarding and karate. The President then announced that the sponsorship contract with FCA (Fiat Auto) will expire on 31 December, and as of 1 January CONI will commence a new partnership with Toyota, in accordance with international agreements concluded by the IOC. The eight-year contract will be presented in Rome on 19 January. The agreement between CONI, Coni Servizi and the Foro Italico University of Rome on the use of space and facilities for Coni Servizi and the University's institutional purposes was then approved. Finally, it was confirmed that the next National Committee meeting will be held in Genoa in the Salone di Rappresentanza on 17 January at 10:00. It will be the last meeting to be held outside of Rome before the Elective National Council on Thursday 11 May 2017 in Rome (the deadline for applications for all Committee positions is 14:00 on 20 April 2017). After addressing a long list of other organisational and administrative issues, and having taken the relevant resolutions, the Committee called an end to proceedings at 11:35.

National Council Press Release

The 249th CONI National Council met today at 3 pm at the Foro Italico to discuss the following agenda:

1) Verbal approval of the meeting of 3 November 2016: The minutes were approved unanimously.

2) The President's statements: Malagò opened proceedings, awarding the Stelle d’Oro for sporting merit to newly elected Fabrizio Bittner (FIPM - Italian Federation of Modern Pentathlon), Andrea Marcon (FIBS - Italian Federation of Baseball and Softball), Giovanni Copioli (FMI - Italian Motorcycling Federation), Gherardo Tecchi (FGI - Italian Gymnastics Federation), Stefania Lenzini, (FITw - Italian Twirling Federation), Fabio Marabini (FCrI - Italian Cricket Federation), Stefano Rossi (FISB - Italian Bowling Federation), Enzo Casadidio (FIGEST - Italian Federation of Traditional Sports and Games), Carlo Andrea Bordini (FID - Italian Draughts Federation), Tiziano Zanetello (FISO - Italian Orienteering Federation), greeting Michele Barbone (FIDS - Italian Federation of Dancesport) and thanking, on behalf of CONI, Elio Locatelli who has moved to FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) as the High Ranking Director, for the fruitful efforts made at national and international level, and Emilio Crosato, President of FIPT (Italian PallaTamburello Federation), who decided not to run again.

Regarding the inauguration of the new government, it was highlighted that the introduction of the Minister of Sport is seen as a key opportunity, as the exchange with Luca Lotti can help in further examining key issues. Regarding the federal elections, it was pointed out that, between National Sports Federations (FSN) and Associate Sports Disciplines (DSA), 10 new presidents have already been elected: the average is over the 32% turnover. 11 May 2017 was specified as the date for the CONI presidential election. Malagò then addressed the Committee, thanking it for its contribution and mentioning that, despite the pain of Rome 2024, sport is one of the country's strengths.

Also, participating on the report and other subjects were: Giovanni Petrucci, Mario Pescante (member of the IOC- International Olympic Committee), Ugo Salines, Andrea Mancino.

3) Territorial organisation: The regulation of CONI's territorial organisation was unanimously approved – amendment to resolution 1544 of 9 November 2015.

4) FSN-DSA-EPS activities: The following resolutions were unanimously approved: 1) Annual limit on foreign athletes entering from outside the European Community (1160 athletes) 2) Registro Nazionale delle Associazioni e Società Sportive Dilettantistiche [National Register of Associations and Amateur Sports Societies] - List of eligible sporting disciplines 3) Approval of election procedures for electing members to the National Council (representatives of athletes and coaches, from territorial organisations, from Sports Promotion Bodies, from Associate Sports Disciplines, from Meritorious Associations), the President and the CONI National Committee.

With no other matters arising, proceedings were closed at 4:20 pm.

Collari D'Oro 2016 awards. Malagò: "The future lies in sport"

The Collari d'Oro awards ceremony, the highest honour in Italian sport, was held today at the CONI Salone d'Onore. Olympic and Paralympic champions from Rio 2016 were honoured along with other sportspeople, personalities and societies that have shone over the course of their career or history. The Palme d'Oro awards were also presented to coaches of Olympic and Paralympic champions for their technical merit.

The prize-giving ceremony, which took place at the CONI Salone d'Onore, was conducted by the Minister of Sport Luca Lotti and was attended by the President of CONI Giovanni Malagò and President of the Italian Paralympic Committee Luca Pancalli.  The ceremony, which was also attended by Secretary General Roberto Fabbricini, Deputy Secretary General Carlo Mornati, President of CONI Servizi Franco Chimenti and Managing Director of CONI Servizi Alberto Miglietta, featured two special guests: Gianluigi Buffon and Francesca Porcellato.

The day began with a welcome from President Malagò, who stressed the importance and significance of the day. "This moment represents our excellence. It has been a particularly significant year in which Italy has performed very well despite our issues with the Olympic programme. I believe that we left Rio with our heads held high, not just in terms of results but also for our style and behaviour. We are the only Olympic Committee to have this model. Everyone is aware of our uniqueness, thanks to my predecessor. We now have a Minister of Sport, Luca Lotti, and we are happy because in recent years he has shared this journey with me. This is the best guarantee for accomplishing and understanding the demands of the sports movement. We are still sore from our Olympic bid. Even those who were opposed to it: we are pleased that we came out of it with style. The future lies in sport".

These notions were also developed by Luca Lotti, in his first formal engagement as Minister of Sports. "I am honoured to take part in this event. We are not starting from scratch but there is still a lot to do. We have done a great deal and I intend to continue in the role from what the previous administration did, the results of which are clear to all. I'm talking about the 100 million to Sports and Suburbs, the increased number of hours devoted to sport in schools, recognition of the autonomy of the Italian Paralympic Committee. There is no lack of support for major international events. Today, however, I am happy because these awards are not like any other. Athletes are a source of inspiration to young people, but these awards go beyond even that. Our champions are the tip of the iceberg: they are supported by a world which works hard for them and enables us to experience the excitement that we celebrated in Rio. I'm borrowing a line from Alfredo Martini who has obviously received this award. In his 93 years of life he experienced sport at all levels. He climbed from the bottom to the top. He is an inspiration to all of us. Sport will always pay because those who take part in sport form good habits, and good habits are never lost. I am talking about values such as honesty, loyalty and respect. It is exciting to think that, thanks to the Sport and Suburbs funding, somewhere a child is playing on one of those fields and in 20 years they may be here".

The ceremony, which was broadcast live on RAI, opened with an award presented to Martina Caironi. Olympic and Paralympic champions alternately received awards on the stage and the ceremony was interspersed with jokes, stories, film clips, emotions and anecdotes. The 90-minute show was attended by members of the IOC Mario Pescante, Franco Carraro, Ivo Ferriani and Manuela Di Centa and several members of the Committee and National Council.

President Emeritus Giorgio Napolitano was among those being honoured, along with Francesco Ricci Bitti, and his speech brought the ceremony to an emotional close.

"I don’t believe that I did much to deserve this recognition, I can use it as encouragement to take up sport myself if it’s not too late. I am paying the consequences of not playing sport. I did so vicariously through my children but I've yet to choose my specialism. I extend my deepest gratitude to CONI for the most wonderful days at the Quirinale where I received Italian athletes leaving for the Olympics and World Championships, and met them again on their return after competing valiantly and often victoriously. We have had many athletes in uniform, both men and women. Sports and the armed forces are among the most respected faces of our nation. Paralympic athletes should be particularly admired for their moral courage and the life lesson that they teach us. We must now look ahead and leave painful controversy behind us. Italy cannot shy away from the challenges and tests that exist on an international level, we must compete in technology, economy, culture, art and sport. We cannot fall behind in any of these fields. Italy has a strong sense of dignity, and we must continually reaffirm it to better ourselves and our circumstance, without being paralysed by fear of misfortune or divided by a willingness to rebel which still exists in Italy – sport can protect us from this". He closed with an anecdote related to Buffon and the triumph of 2006: "I had just been elected President of the Republic and I was in Berlin: I have to thank Buffon and the National Team, which saved me from a serious threat, that Italian misfortune may cast a shadow of bad luck over me. I managed to escape this threat, not due to my own merits. I hope I have not brought bad luck to Italian sport".

Malagò's closing speech was met with applause. "President Napolitano has moved me. He said something beautiful: that sport is perhaps the only area in which we are not divided. It is all thanks to you". (Photo credit: Mezzelani-GMT).

Absent winners included Vincenzo Nibali (cycling, Giro d’Italia 2016), Gregorio Paltrinieri (swimming, Olympic gold 1500 freestyle), Fabio Basile (judo, Olympic gold cat. 66 kg), Andrea Pio Scarpa (WBC world champion silver, super lightweight), Luigi Gigi Riva, judo coach Kiyoshi Murakami and head swimming coach Stefano Morini.

The full list is as follows:

COLLARI D’ORO FOR SPORTING MERIT

Marco Tamberi (athletics, indoor high jump world champion), Elia Viviani (cycing, Olympic gold, omnium), Daniele Garozzo (fencing, Olympic gold in individual foil), Niccolò Campriani (shooting, Olympic gold 10 m rifle and three position rifle), Diana Bacosi (skeet shooting, Olympic gold), Gabriele Rossetti (skeet shooting, Olympic gold), Giovanni De Carolis (WBA world champion, super-middleweight), Kiara Fontanesi (2015 Motocross world champion – absent from the last ceremony).

Martina Caironi (track and field, Paralympic gold 100 m T42), Assunta Legnante (track and field, Paralympic gold shot put F12), Alex Zanardi (cycling, Paralympic gold chronometer handbike H5 and Mixed Team Relay), Vittorio Podestà (cycling, Paralympic gold chronometer handbike H3 and Mixed Team Relay), Luca Mazzone (cycling, Paralympic gold chronometer handbike H2 and Mixed Team Relay), Paolo Cecchetto (cycling, Paralympic gold handbike individual road race H3), Federico Morlacchi (swimming, Paralympic gold 200 m IM – SM9), Francesco Bocciardo (swimming, Paralympic gold 400 m freestyle – S6), Beatrice Maria Vio (fencing, Paralympic gold in individual foil cat. B).

SPORTS SOCIETIES

Società Ginnastica Pavese ASD [Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica - Amateur Sports Association], Verbano Yacht Club ASD, Vela Nuoto Ancona ASD, Circolo Canottieri Pro Monopoli ASD, Tennis Club Napoli ASD, Gruppo Sportivo Forestale, Torino Football Club Spa

PERSONALITIES

Giorgio Napolitano, Francesco Ricci Bitti

PALMA D’ORO FOR COACHING MERIT

Davide Cassani, Marco Villa and Edoardo Salvoldi (cycling), Pierangelo Toniolo (judo), Cesare Butini (swimming), Fabio Maria Galli (fencing), Celso Giardini and Bruno Rossetti (skeet shooting), Nadia Checchini and Alessandro Kuris (Paralympic track and field), Fabrizio Di Somma (Paralympic cycling), Massimiliano Tosin and Luca Puce (Paralympic swimming), Federica Berton (Paralympic fencing)

CONI TROPHY

CONI Regional Committee - Veneto

Celebrating Holy Mass for Sportspeople in St. Peter's. Monsignor Fisichella: You must have faith to reach the finish line

Monsignor Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, today officiated the Holy Mass for Sportspeople in St. Peter's Basilica. The Mass was attended by the President of CONI Giovanni Malagó, Secretary General Roberto Fabbricini, Deputy Secretary General Carlo Mornati, President of CONI Servizi Franco Chimenti, Managing Director of CONI Servizi Alberto Miglietta, several members of the Committee and National Council and a representative group of Italian athletes (photo credit: Mezzelani-GMT).

The service was accompanied by the Coro Città di Roma, directed by Lorenzo Porzio, along with the orchestra and choir from the Vittorio Emanuele II National Boarding School in Rome. Introductory liturgical readings were read by Giovanni Pellielo and Sandro Campagna, while Don Mario Lusek, the Italian Olympic team's chaplain, read the first reading from the book of Judges, recounting the birth of Samson. The service was officiated in the presence of, among others, the Under-secretary at the Pontifical Council for Culture of the Holy See, Monsignor Melchor Sanchez.

In his homily, Monsignor Fisichella used the story of Samson as a metaphor for our existence. "Samson was strong thanks to God's spirit. He had to free his people from slavery, and each of us also has a mission – which is not just to win. We must try to truly realise life for what has been bestowed upon us. The important thing is to believe in it. Samson did not fully accomplish the task that God entrusted to him, and so his people were not released at that time. We, too, must trust in the rules that have been set in order to achieve our plan. If you want to reach the finish line, you must uphold and maintain the rules and discipline, and believe in them wholeheartedly. The rest comes by itself. We must have faith, because everything passes, even glory. But if you have faith you will never lose courage. Celebrating Christmas is to believe in the qualities that we have been given and to believe in God, who became one of us so that we could fully be ourselves. Celebrate the birth of Jesus with genuine faith and love".

Antonella Palmisano, Guendalina Sartori, Francesca Porcellato and Matteo Castaldo, along with Sandro Campagna and Giovanni Pellielo, in turn read the prayers of the faithful. Monsignor Fisichella's blessing was the perfect close to Italian sport's 2016 Olympic year, opening the doors for renewed ambitions. 

Sport and Integration, winners awarded in 2016. Malagò: "Our goal is social inclusion"

For the second year running, the programme agreement for promoting integration policies through sport signed by CONI and the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies has highlighted "best practices" in relation to integration through sport.

During the final meeting of 2016 for the "Sport and Integration" project (photo-Mezzelani GMT) at the Circolo del Tennis Foro Italico, successful positive experiences from this year's call to sporting associations were honoured, and Special Mentions were awarded to initiatives undertaken by National Sports Federations, Associated Sports Disciplines, Sports Promotion Bodies and Meritorious Associations. 239 integration through sport experiences, implemented throughout Italy, responded to the call.

The meeting was attended by Giovanni Malagò (President of CONI), Tatiana Esposito (General Manager of immigration and integration policies at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies), Alberto Miglietta (Managing Director of Coni Servizi), Diana Bianchedi (member of the Project Scientific Committee) and Adele Menniti (Research Director at the Italian National Research Council). Giuliano Poletti, Minister of Labour and Social Policies, also gave a few words.

Giovanni Malagò, President of CONI, stressed the importance of the project within the activities developed by the Body: "I am pleased that the hard work on this project and this issue is going to be recognised by the world of sports associations. It is not easy to get Federations, representatives of the professional world, and promotional bodies around the same table, but we have a duty to create links with all sectors in the exclusive interest of sport and the public. CONI has a strong social presence, at the cost of allocating resources to projects far removed from our core business, and through this we are creating important allies in companies that want to invest in social responsibility. Successful Best Practices are a tradition which we are particularly proud of".

Giuliano Poletti, Minister of Labour and Social Policies: "The local response to the activities proposed by the Sport and Integration project illustrates how continuous and thorough work with associations, and cooperation between institutions, can have a real effect, encourage dialogue between various people, and promote integration into and between communities".

MD of Coni Servizi Alberto Miglietta commented on the "central role of sport in relation to integration. We have several projects with various Ministries and we are pleased to create links to enhance the importance of the movement for the benefit of the community".

As part of the programme agreement, a survey dedicated to the perception of integration and inclusion values was conducted in 2016 by the National Research Council with a sample of secondary schools, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. During this event the first results of the "Fratelli di Sport" survey were presented.

The world of education was also involved in an informative campaign which saw secondary school pupils consider integration issues and participate in a contest focused on the theme of "Integration: the best victory". During the meeting, pupils from two schools in Rome participating in the educational campaign spoke with Italian athletes from migrant backgrounds: Delmas Obou, sprinter, Italian national 100 m champion in 2013 and 2014, and Ivan Mach Di Palmstein, hurdler, who are both members of the Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Gialle [sport section of the Italian police force]. Information regarding the programme agreement, the measures taken and in progress, and the "Sport and Integration Manifesto" is available at www.fratellidisport.it and www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it.

"Vincere da Grandi" Open Day in Corviale. Malagò: Thank you Lottomatica. We must invest in society

Today, President of CONI Giovanni Malagò and President and Managing Director of Lottomatica Holding Fabio Cairoli took part in the Vincere da Grandi Open Day in the Corviale district of Rome. This sporting, cultural and social project aims to raise awareness, and give young people from disadvantaged areas who are at risk of marginalisation the chance to discover and take part in a range of sporting disciplines.

The initiative, which is dedicated to profitable and synergistic action between the private and public sectors, was introduced in 2015 thanks to CONI's dedication and major funding from Lottomatica through the Il Gioco del Lotto brand. Today around 800 young people are involved across four cities: Rome (Parco del Foro Italico), Milan (Quarto Oggiaro), Naples (Scampia) and Palermo (former Zen).

The next two stages will involve Reggio Calabria (Rosarno) and Corviale in Rome, which, thanks to SSD Calciosociale, hosted an afternoon full of celebration and fun for a crowd of children in the Valentina Venanzi sports centre. Representatives of the companies participating in the project were present along with two special guests: Elisa Blanchi, World Champion rhythmic gymnast who won two Olympic medals with the Italian National team (silver in Athens in 2004 and bronze in London in 2012) and Alessandro Florenzi, footballer for AS Roma and the national team (photo credit: Mezzelani-GMT).

President Malagò opened with a welcome which highlighted the importance of Vincere da Grandi. "We have always believed in this project and I want to thank Lottomatica and everyone who has made it possible. Sport is enhanced in its most noble sense and experienced as an opportunity to grow, as training can free young people from their everyday problems. The initiative is a source of great pride and shows us that investing in the community is a winning idea. Thank you to all of you." The forward-thinking attention paid to the Corviale project by the CONI Regional Committee led by Riccardo Viola and Rome's representative Cristina Chiuso was also noted.

Fabio Cairoli emphasised the initiative's content, according to Lottomatica's point of view. "Today you are winners, you are ambition transformed into reality. This is a victory for us, for our company and for Gioco del Lotto, the brand associated with the initiative. Vincere da Grandi confirms our belief in the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in order to successfully implement projects which benefit the community. This is an extraordinary growth lever, which ensures social inclusion".

Leaders of various local projects then took the floor to speak about their own areas of expertise: President of SSD Calciosociale Massimo Vallati, who thanked CONI and Lottomatica and emphasised the importance of the project for social betterment of an entire district, Giovanni Maddaloni President of and teacher at the A.S.D. Star Judo Club in Scampia, Napoles, Rachid Berradi from ASD Atletica Berradi 091 in Palermo, and Sergio Frazzei from ASD Futura Milano Quarto Oggiaro, all highlighted the stages taken in the journey.

The closing talks from Elisa Blanchi and Alessandro Florenzi were met with applause from the children. Blanchi focused on the meaning of sport. "What was symbolic in my life, and plotted it indelibly, is the enthusiasm to pursue your goals while aspiring to the value of our movement". Florenzi said he was "proud to be part of this family, because I know Corviale and the work you are doing. You applauded me, but you should applaud your mums and dads who work to give you everything they can". The day came to an end with camera flashes, applause and dedications, and the future laid out before the participants, inspired with dreams of becoming champions, star players and winning gold medals.

National Committee press release. Financial contributions for Federations established for 2017

The 1054ª-bis meeting of the CONI National Committee was held at the Foro Italico this morning following on from the meeting in Naples on 22 November. Financial contributions for National Sports Federations was the sole point of discussion. The Committee first approved the criteria defined by the dedicated Committee, establishing the new funding for National Sports Federations in 2017 (see table) for sport, as well as contributions for Human Resources, office space and sports facilities. The resolution was passed by the majority with a vote against cast by Abete. At the same time, President Malagò announced that the Commission has fulfilled its duties and is therefore dissolved.

The Committee, acting on a proposal from the Meritorious Sports Commission, then allocated "motu proprio" the Collare d'Oro to Gianmarco Tamberi and the Palma d'Oro to cycling coach Edoardo Salvoldi. Both will be awarded on 19 December during the Cerimonia per i Collari held in the CONI Salone d'Onore at 11:30 in the presence of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with guests of honour Gianluigi Buffon and Francesca Porcellato presenting the awards. After addressing a long list of other organisational and administrative issues, and having taken the relevant resolutions, the Committee called an end to proceedings at 10:35.

Renewal of protocol with the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research: 2 hours of sport in all primary schools. Malagò: "It is a big step"

Minister of Education, Universities and Research Stefania Giannini and President of the Italian National Olympic Committee Giovanni Malagò today signed the renewal of the memorandum of understanding between MIUR and CONI.
The three-year agreement (renewable on request of the parties), which was signed in the afternoon in MUIR's Sala della Comunicazione in the presence of Italian sporting champions and Olympic medal winners from Rio 2016 such as Elisa Di Francisca (fencing), Daniele Lupo (beach volleyball), Matteo Lodo and Giovanni Abagnale (rowing), promotes sports education in schools on a national level, encouraging the adoption of a healthy lifestyle to combat early school leaving and all forms of violence and bullying and enhancing the development of educating people about living within the law.

"The collaboration between CONI and MIUR began three years ago and we had a goal which became a project, Sport di Classe, to increase physical activity right from primary school", said the Minister. We are doing this not just to discover champions to win Olympic medals or step onto winners' podiums around the world, but to offer all the benefits that sports provides, in addition to health education, a healthy life style. These are key qualities. In these two and a half years we have achieved a lot and focused directly on a greater sports presence in Italian schools. We announced 1800 new positions for physical education teachers for middle and high schools and, with President Malagò, we started a project, and today this signed protocol for its implementation will allow us within two years to achieve our goal that all primary schools, educating children from 6 to 11 years old, will have at least two hours of physical activity on their timetables. It doesn't seem like a lot, but this small start means setting children on a path which for some will be to become a great talent and for others it will be to do some sport".

One of the Protocol's objectives is to support and implement play and movement in primary schools through the continuation of the national Sport di Classe project which started in the 2014-2015 academic year, partly thanks to the allocation of EUR 60 million provided by National Operational Programme funds 2014/2020.

A unique school sports portal will be activated for institutions, which will also be used for monitoring initiatives. MIUR and CONI will collaborate on developing tools to support top young athletes at secondary school and at University. Initiatives will also be launched for disseminating and communicating the educational values of sport. Alternative training courses in accordance with La Buona Scuola will be promoted, as part of the sports and events system and activities organised by CONI, at national and local level.
"7,000 primary schools have got involved, nearly half of all institutions, with 1.2 million pupils and 60,000 classes", continued Malagò. Thanks to the 60 million allocated from the next European Scheduling funds we are going to complete this project which will reach the rest in the next three years. In this country we must start realising that doing sport does not interfere with studying. Studying and work and studying and sport are two fundamental parts of life which must be combined. This signing is important and I am very happy that we managed to complete this part of the project within the year".

"When I became President of CONI", said Malagò, "there was no particular desire to look at sport in school, there was significant allocation of funds but it was necessary to stay on top of it day by day. It was an organisation which was focused on two things: school and social responsibility. Our goal was to make it possible for all primary classes to have the opportunity to do at least two or three hours of sport a week as quickly as we could. We have significantly increased the numbers – this year more than 40% of classes participated in Sport di Classe. Thank you to Simona Montevarchi Director of the National Operational Programme funds, who has made funds available to tackle the problems in the South, in particular in Campania and Sicily which are stars of the Italian sports system. I'm very happy, we are still far from the Anglo-American system but we are making huge strides. I am thinking of two great athletes: Federica Pellegrini and Pietro Mennea. Federica was discovered by the world of sports associations. Pietro, on the other hand, was discovered in school. But how many Menneas have we risked losing over the years and how many can we now find? We do not expect to replace physical education teachers with the concept of two hours in primary school, but today we feel that with the tutor dynamic we can at least compensate for the shortcomings that still exist. Increasing the amount of time adds even more value to the cultural aspect of sport".

He ended with: "'I have a dream' that in the next stage you can integrate this support we have given with the integration of physical education teachers. Thanks to the Ministry and thank you Stefania for your awareness, because until a few years ago this issue was not one of the country's priorities".

During the signing ceremony, presented by Andrea Lucchetta, two sets of equipment were presented: one to the Istituto Comprensivo Acquaroni Primary School in Rome (Tor Bella Monaca district), winner of the Sport di Classe values journey in 2015-2016, and one to the Dante Alighieri Secondary School in L'Aquila.

Naples hosts Committee meeting for the first time. Meeting statement

The 1054th meeting of the CONI National Committee was held in Naples for the first time, and took place in the Sala Italia at Castel dell'Ovo. The meeting was opened by Luigi de Magistris, Mayor of Naples (accompanied by councillor Ciro Borriello) who extended a welcome on behalf of the city and handed the flag of Naples over to President Malagò. Lucia Fortini, Councillor for Sport in the Campania region, then gave a few words. The formal part of the meeting came to an end and the Committee started proceedings by approving the minutes of the previous meeting of 3 November. In his statements, President Malagò (photo credit: Mezzelani-GMT) updated the Committee on recent legislation regarding sport, in particular the entry into force of the decree on defibrillators on 1 January 2017. Malagò also spoke about his participation in the European Olympic Committee meeting in Minsk and the World Olympic Committee meeting in Doha. The President then announced that under-17s footballer Francesco Pipoli from Foggia will receive the CONI Ciro Esposito study grant because "while he was on track to score, he stopped to allow a member of the opposing team who was lying injured on the ground to receive treatment".

Regarding the next Committee meeting, the new calendar leading up to the CONI elections was announced. The next Committee meeting will take place in Rome on 2 December (dedicated to allocating funds to National Sports Federations), while the first meeting of 2017 will be held in Genoa at the Palazzo della Regione Liguria on 17 January. Fulvio Bonavitacola, Vice-President of the Campania Region, then spoke on behalf of Governor De Luca. At the request of Romolo Rizzoli, President of the Italian Bowls Federation, Massimo Proto was appointed as acting Commissioner in order to amend the federal statute in view of the Federal Elective Assembly. After addressing a long list of other organisational and administrative issues, and having taken the relevant resolutions, the Committee called an end to proceedings at 13:15.