Malagò: "The approval of the decree against violence in the stadiums is an important step ahead"

CONI President Giovanni Malagò has released the following declaration about the approval by the Government of the decree against illegality cases during sport events: "This is an important step in view of the prevention of violence episodes connected to sport, with the aim to bring the families back to the sport events. Widening the Daspo (the prohibition to access sport events) and most of all having a special survelliance of public security for repeat offenders are measures that will surely contribute in keeping habitual violent people away from stadiums. Among the other provisions, I want finally to thank the Government about the Alfano decree, which has the aim of thightening penalties up against frauds in sport competitions: this is a clear sign to counteract any attempt of illegal alteration and evident violation of the sacred values of our world."​

Flavia Tartaglini is mesmerizing: she is 2nd in Rio test event, today the Medal Race

Rio bay is continuing to provide excellent conditions also in the fourth day of the Aquece Rio-International Sailing Regatta, characterized by a nice sun and by a 15-node-breeze which has spread on all over the regatta fields. The test event of the ten Olympic classes, which is scheduled until Saturday with a logistic base in Marina da Gloria, is starting thus to get into high gear and among the protagonists of the day we can find one more time the azzurra Flavia Tartaglini (RS:X F windsurfing): yesterday she obtained a fourth and two second places, these results have led her to the second place in the temporary ranking dominated by French Charline Pichon, who has been on the first place four times in eight competitions and on a fifth place as the worse result to be eliminated. Both of them, together with the others on the ranking top ten, will be competing today in the Medal race. The other Italian athlete Laura Linares is at the fourteenth place and so she is out of the Medal.

In masculin RS:X (headed by Dutch Dorian Van Rijsselberge) Marcantonio Baglione is 21st, while in the Finns Giorgio Poggi is 7th, with the English Giles Scott distancing his rivals, and in the Laser Standard Francesco Marrai is 12th in the ranking having the Australian Tom Burton as a leader, followed by only one point by English Nick Thompson. These are the teams at the head of the other classes:

Nacra 17, Besson-Riou (FRA); 470 M, Belcher-Ryan (AUS); 470 F, Aleh-Powrie (NZL); 49er, D’Ortoli-Delpech (FRA); 49er FX, Grael-Juntze (BRA); Laser Radial, Annalise Murphy (IRL). The schedule today includes the Medal race competition for both RS:X classes (starting from 1 pm, local time, in the regatta field of Pao de Azucar) with Tartaglini starting 16 points behind Pichon and 11 points ahead of Spanish athlete Alabau. Three are the regattas for Laser Standard, Laser Radial, Finn, 470 M and 470 F, and four regattas for 49er, 49er and Nacra 17.​

Minus ten days before the Youth Olympic Games, on Monday also the Italian team will leave

Ten days are left before the Opening Ceremony of the  Summer Youth Olympic Games, the sport event for young athletes between the age of 15 and 18 that will be held in Nanjing in China from the 16th to the 28th of August. After the start in Singapore in 2010 and that in winter in Innsbruck (Austria) in 2012, the Youth Olympic Games are back with 28 sports (to the 26 sports golf and rugby in 7 have been added, as a preview before the expected debut of Rio De Janeiro in 2016) and with 30 disciplines distributed in 12 days in 27 facilities. 3808 athletes (214 more than in Singapore), representing 204 National Olympic Committees spread in 5 continents, will fight to conquer 222 Olympic awards (109 between males, 95 for women, 18 in the competitions dedicated to mixed age and nationality groups). More than 20000 volunteers, many of them students from Chinese universities, thousands of accredited journalists, almost all the facilities sold out and the hospitality of the Olympic Village designed to exceed 5000 people, with technicians and escorts from the various delegations: these are the numbers of an extraordinary event, which, despite belonging to the younger category, aims to get close to the record Olympic Games of Beijing in 2008. Thus, today the countdown starts also for the 69 components (confronted with the 62 of the 2010) from the #Italianteam who on Monday the 11th of August will leave from Rome and in part from Milan to fly to Nanjing, ancient Capital of the South, built on the delta of the Azure River. 33 men and 36 women (among them also Aurora Tognetti, pentathlete champion and flag-bearer of CONI mission) will deal with 21 disciplines (three more than Singapore), trying to make better than the 25 placings (8 gold - 10 silver - 7 bronze medals) obtained by their predecessors.

Lombardy with 13 athletes is the most present region, followed by Latium (10) and by the duo Veneto/Emilia Romagna, both with 7. Only Valle d'Aosta, Molise and Basilicata are missing, which were absent in 2010 too, as well as Sardinia, which instead took part in the inaugural exhibition of the YOG with an athlete from Cagliari. The slogan "Share the games, share our dreams", finally, lets understand that #Nanjing2014 will be one of the most shared CIO events ever. On youtube/Olympics it will be possible to find the most beautiful images, both of the cerimonies and of the competitions, while the Organizing Committee (NYOGOC) has activated since time the official site (www.nanjing2014.org/en) and all its social channels. Also the Italian fans will be able to follow the enterprises of their favourites remaining connected to facebook.com/ConiNews, Twitter (@coninews) and Youtube (conisocial), as well as the new website www.coni.it. Thus, exactly after two years from the start of Rio De Janeiro Games, the dream of the best sport youth of the world is taking shape, who, even if Brasil is too close, is looking forward to Nanjing as a springboard for Japan and Tokyo2020. As the hymn of the #YouthOlympicGames "Dreams Never End"(composed by Bian Liu-nian, musical director of the Olympic Opening Ceremony of Beijing) declaims, dreams, most of all those of the young, do never end!

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Protocol on youth employment: sport provides perspectives to the country

CONI President Giovanni Malagò and Labour and Social Policies Minister Giuliano Poletti have signed this morning by the Ministry seat an agreement protocol for the promotion of actions with the aim of favoring youth employment in the frame of a National plan for the 'Garanzia per i Giovani" ("Guarantee for Youth").

The agreement has the aim of defining a collaboration frame with the action of Government, regions and other public administration authorities involved through activities oriented towards the application of the program using local seats as places where spreading information and the contribution to the development of any mid-term prediction of professional positions requested in the sport world.

CONI undertakes to communicate information on measures and actions foreseen in the "Garanzia Giovani" program involving its own territorial facilities which could favor the approach and access of young people to the world of labour through the coordinating action of CONI Regional Committees of all the local bodies dealing with sport; it also undertakes to promote the oublication of job, apprentiship and internship offers. The protocol includes specific actions in the field of internships and apprentiships. As far as internship is concerned, CONI will promote its use through its local bodies, in order to spread such instrument by the sport organizations recognized by CONI.

President Malagò has exalted the potential of sport to provide new employment perspectives. "Differently from other firms in the country, which do not seem to have particular projects to me, we have initiatives everywhere. We don' say that all of them will be carried out until the end, but only having people with the intention to buy plots of land in order to build gymnasiums and sport centres, I think this is a positive thing. Sport has nowadays the huge responsibility not only of winning medals but also of contributing to the support of the country and the Government in the fight against unemployment".​

Giorgio Poggi and Flavia Tartaglini protagonists of the test event towards Rio 2016

After the stop on Monday because of lack of wind, finally yesterday Rio bay offered perfect conditions for the 324 sailors dealing with the 3rd day of the Aquece Rio-International Sailing Regatta, the test event of the ten Olympic classes taking place in the waters which will host the regattas of next 2016 Olympic Games, with the logistic base in Marina de Gloria. All at sea, therefore, managing a nice strong wind from south-west of more than 15 nodes, caused by a low pressure front which only passed close by the bay, with a very formed sea and long waves, particularly in the regatta fields in the open sea.

A positive day for Italian sailing, which has had as protagonists Giorgio Poggi (Finn) and Flavia Tartaglini (windsurfing).  The Ligurian has obtained a second and two fourth places in the three competitions taken place; these results have projected him to the third place (13-10-4-2-4) of the classification lead by the English Giles Scott. The Roman athlete, number 1 of the class world ranking system, instead, has finished the day with a victory, a third and a ninth place, which were good to go up to the fifth place in the general classification (8-14-3-9-1). At the head is French Charline Picon, while the other Italian athlete Laura Linares is 12th. Talking about the RS:X among the regattas competed also by men 22th place for Marcantonio Baglione, in the classification having at the head the Dutch athlete Van Rijseelberge and the Greek Kokkalanis.

The last Italian athlete present in Rio, Francesco Marrai (Laser Standard) has instead obtained 4-14-13 during the day and he is 11th in the classification lead by Australian Tom Burton. These are the leaders of the other classes: Nacra 17, Bundock/Curtis (AUS); 470 M, Belcher-Ryan (AUS); 470 F, Haeger-Provancha (USA); 49er, Outteridge-Jensen (AUS); 49er FX, Grael-Juntze (BRA); Laser Radial, Tuula Tenkanen (FIN).

Today the azzurri will come back to the water with a schedule of three competitions both for classes RS:X M and F (Campo Pao de Azucar, starting from 12, local time), and for Finn (Campo Niteroi, from 12) and Laser Standard (Campo Copacabana, from 12:10). The impressions about Rio bay are very good, as the DT of FIV Michele Marchesini has underlined: "this place has confimed to be really a good place to practice our sport and the organization of the regatta is excellent." "The wind varies greatly both in intensity and in direction," Flavia Tartaglini has added, "and it is very difficult to read, but I like it a lot. The place is incredible and the regattas are beautiful and intense".

Test event towards Rio 2016, Olympic classes in Brazil

Olympic sailing has arrived in Brazil, in the Rio de Janeiro bay, for the Aquece Rio-International Sailing Regatta 2014, the test event dedicated to the ten Olympic classes scheduled from tomorrow, Sunday the 3th of August, until Saturday the 9th, with a logistic base in Marina da Gloria and regattas scheduled in the same regatta fields that will host the sailing competitions during the next Olympic Games in 2016.  Five Italian saling National team athletes are present, lead by Technical Director Michele Marchesini, together with the Federal feminin RS:X windsurf technician Adriano Stella, competing in this occasion which is gathering in Rio 320 sailors representing 34 nations, with most of the best exponent of the Olympic classes attending: Flavia Tartaglini and Laura Linares (RS:X F), Marcantonio Baglione (RS:X M), Francesco Marrai (Laser Standard) and Giorgio Poggi (Finn). The regattas for RS:X and single Finn will start tomorrow, having thus from the start four Italian athletes competing. This is the program per class (distributed on the 5 regatta fields): RS:X M (3-7 August, 12 competitions + Medal), RS:X F (3-7 August, 12 competitions + Medal), Laser Standard (4-9 August, 10 competitions + Medal), Laser Radial (4-9 August, 10 competitions + Medal), Finn (3-8 August, 10 competitions + Medal),
470 M (4-9 August, 10 competitions + Medal), 470 F (4-9 August, 10 competitions + Medal), 49er (4-8 August, 12 competitions + 3 Medal), 49er FX (4-8 August, 12 competitions + 3 Medal) and Nacra 17 (4-8 August, 12 competitions + Medal).

"The guys are healthy and have overcome the effects of jet lag," Technical Director Michele Marchesini has declared. "They have been training in the next few days and they have started to get to know the Rio bay. The meteorological and sea conditions are very good, a southerly breeze has been blowing into the bay regularly for ten days with a speed of between 8 and 14 nodes. Out of the bay, in Niteroi and Copacabana fields, the long wave of the oceanic swell is present, while inside the bay the waves are short.In exchange, there is a lot of sea current, particularly around the Ponte field, and the
problem of the bay pollution, already highlighted in the past, is still present. Our guys are all very concentrated, we have an optimal logistic situation (the only nation, together with Japan, to stay near the Marina da Gloria) and have a great desire to give the best we can," Marchesini concluded, "even if the priority of this transfer is to gather useful data in view of the Rio Games and the study of the regatta fields."​

Prime Minister Renzi celebrates winners at Fencing Championships. "Sport and values champions"

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has welcomed in Palazzo Chigi in the afternoon the Italian athletes who have conquered the podium at the recent Fencing World Championships taken place in Kazan. The 12 azzurri (the only one absent was Andrea Cassarà) were lead by CONI President Giovanni Malagò, General Secretary Roberto Fabbricini, Vice Secretary Arianna Errigo (individual gold in foll and gold in team foll), Martina Batini (individual silver in fool and gold in team foll), Valentina Vezzali (individual bronze in foll and gold in team foll), Elisa Di Francisca (gold in team foll), Rossella Fiamingo (individual gold in epee and bronze in team epee), Bianca Del Carretto, Mara Navarria e Francesca Quondamcarlo (bronze in team epee), Enrico Garozzo (individual bronze in epee), Valerio Aspromonte, Andrea Baldini e Giorgio Avola (bronze in team foll).In this delegation, there were Federal Vice President Paolo Azzi, Secretary Marco Cannella and foll and epee. Andrea Cipressa and Sandro Cuomo.

Prime Minister has homaged the champions and maestros attending with a celebrative medal repeating that "the fencing National team is always a guarantee." For those who love this sport they know the educational valure of fencing, loyalty, respect, a complete education. The Government want to thank you and also that it should be taken a bit more consideration, in fact with Vezzali we have thought about a project in schools...." President Malagò has applauded a group that "it never stops to amaze", illustrating to the Prime Minister the particular situation determined by rotation of the specialties in view of Rio Championships in 2016: the calendary infact will foresse the team matches of feminine foll and masculine saber. "Thank you for the guaranteed support to Italian sport", has concluded Malagò, followed then by the intervention of President Scarso who has addressed the importance of the activity of each single reality, from the base to directive level, in order to achieve such importance results. The National team's saber and overalls has been at the end donated to Prime Minister Renzi.

Epee World Championships: a historical gold medal with Fiamingo, bronze for Garozzo

Rossella Fiamingo is the new World Champion in the women epee! This is the result of the World Championship final at Kazan 2014, who has seen the Italian overcoming German athlete Britta Heidemann 15-11, Olympic silver medalist at London 2012 and with a rich record of achievements. Rossella Fiamingo, 23 years old since six days, brings back to Italy a title that was missing since Athens 1994, when Laura Chiesa won.
"I cannot believe it yet", the Italian repeats while receiving the embrace of the Technical Commissioner Sandro Cuomo, of her National teammates and all the Italian epee staff.
This is a specialty which, at its sixth day, has also the mark of Enrico Garozzo, winner of the bronze medal, defeated in the semifinal only by Korean Kjoung-Doo with 15-10, allowing Italy to be at the head of the medal list per country.
The Italian women epee is back on the podium of the Championships four years after the edition of Paris 2010 when the bronze medal came thanks to Nathalie Moelhausen who, fatally, has been the first rival of the day for the young Italian. This has been almost a "handover" between the two former National teammates, since Nathalie Moelhausen, defeated by Rossella Fiamingo 15-6, has chosen to defend Brasil, her second passport nationality. The path of the azzurra has then gone on with the win over Korean Choi 15-5, then in the round of 16 over Russian Violetta Kolobova 15-7 and in the quarterfinals over Estonian Irina Embrich who, previously, had interrupted the run of the former World Champion, Rumenian Ana Branza. In the semifinal, the victory against the Ucranian Yana Shemiyakina 13-12 and, fin the final, the fencing assault to the title against the German Heidemann.
Enrico Garozzo on his side is enjoying her first medal since he has left the under 20. The azzurro, 25 years old from Acireale, has been defeated in the semifinal 15-10 by Korean Kyoung-doo Park. The highest cry from him came after winning the assault of the quarterfinals against Estonian Sten Priinits 15-9. After defeating German athlete Norman Ackermann 15-8 and Russian Khodos 15-12, he has overcome in the run of 16 the Korean Jinsun Jung, Olympic bronze medalist at London 2012, with the score of 14-13 at the end of an assault that has seen Garozzo going from 6-10 to 13-10 and then stopping the coming back of the rival.

"Sport in Italy, numbers and context", data presented

The document "Lo sport in Italia. Numeri e contesto" ("Sport in Italy. Numbers and context") created by CONI Centro Studi has been presented this morning at the Salone d'Onore. The in-depth analysis in collaboration with Istat has analysed not only the monitoring of 2013 data but also the results of the census data about no-profit organizations and the multi-objective survey carried out on families. CONI President Giovanni Malagò has welcomed the people attending at the presence of ISTAT President Antonio Golini and Central Director of census and ISTAT statistical registers Manlio Calzaroni. CONI General Director and CONI Centro Studi Manager Michele Uva was also among the speakers.

Malagò has opened the press conference highlighting the importance of data in order to understand the state of the sport movement in the country. "Centro Studi is a key reference, for any necessity, it means credibility. We must explain the data, understand how we are and who we are, what is happening in our context. These are numbers in evolution and in a few cases there is also an involution. This documents is a fundamental mirror, certified by a partner which is the master in this field: ISTAT has gone further, widening its perspective on no-profit. Talking about sport, not about other activities, is key and it is also essential to read the data also from the point of view of facilities. For such reason I urged to create a map, as without a clear vision of which and how many facilities there are, also looking at their position, it is difficult to take action. Sport offers the opportunity to reverse the unemployment trend starting from data."

ISTAT Presient Antonio Golini has widened this concept: "Sport is one of the most important values of humanity and the degree of participation of the population in physical activities is one of the parameters that helps tracing the cultural and social profile of the country, allowing also to monitor the level of inactivity of people. We want to continue this collaboration with CONI in order to enhance the information wealth, preserving the quality and the periodicity of statistical data. We are planning a new sample survey devoted to spare time and to culture, with a new census in 2015, also in order to quantify the added value generated by sport and estimate the whole amount of economic relationships."

General Director of census and ISTAT statistical registers Manlio Calzaroni has offered instead the data of "no-profit in sport". "The no-profit institutions are 92.838, corresponding to 30,8% of no-profit institutions surveyed. More than six sport institutions of 10 have been born in the last decade (+61,5% compared to the year 2000). 6.800 of those who have offered its own services to disadvantaged people. In this sector, one million volunteer is active (92,2% of the human resources employed), 13.000 subordinated workers and 75.000 external workers, most of them of young age: 23,7% is under 30. Athletes, trainers, escorts and instructors are 61.000. This sector has raised 5% of the total no-profit compared to the year 1999, while the amount of sport institutions formed in the last decade has raised more than 60%. In this sector a million volunteers, 13.000 subordinated workers and 75.000 external workers is active. The level of members participation is high, about 75% of the total amount."

Coni Servizi General Director Michele Uva has closed his presentation, illustrating thoroughly the data connected to the monitoring carried out by CONI on the National sport system. "Together with Centro Studi, we have brought an objective contained in the President's program into reality. Numbers rule the world, Platone said, but we have to analyze and cross-analyze them, this is our aim. From this study, it comes out that there are more than 4.500.000 of Italian athletes (31% more than 2003) with a membership by organizations recognized by CONI, while there are a million of sport operators (sport and federal directors, technicians and competition officials) and 64.829 sport associations. Such numbers are still growing and growing: 3,6% is growth of sport associations in a decade, 1,6% the one related to the sport operators. Athletes with a membership under 18 is 54%. 30% is between 8 and 13, while 25% is over 36. The percentage of people not practising sport is 42%, but people practising continously have been growing up to 30%. This is the starting point to understand the movement, also on a social level, and to evaluate all the necessary initiatives in order to obtain the most ambitious objectives."​

Open Day for the Olympic Management course. Malagò: "New professionals are essential"

A didactic project in order to train future sport directors: the Open Day of the course of Olympic Management organized by CONI School of Sport has been presented this morning at the Sala della Scherma (Fencing Room) in the  Acquacetosa Olympic Preparation Centre. The objectives of this initiative have been illustrated by CONI President Giovanni Malagò, Coni Servizi CEO Alberto Miglietta, by School of Sport Director Rossana Ciuffetti, the President of the Scientific Committee Antonello Bernaschi e the former long jump champion and CONI Board member Fiona May.

The course is addressed to young graduated people with the aim to prepare them for an immediate access to the labour market through the acquisition of competences as well as relation and team work abilities: it will be characterized by 12 modules with obligatory attendance for a total of 350 hours of lessons.

President Malagò has opened the works offering a good interpretation of the project: "I think it is a fundamental course for the times we are living in, thus I would like to thank the School of Sport who has been able to play its role decoding the current difficulties and the necessities of the market. We are in a context of chrisis that has been going on for too long and to leave it behind ideas and initiatives trying to change this trend of youth unemployment afre needed. As CONI President I have a very strong moral duty to lend a hand to help my country. My first mission is maybe before winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games to satisfy what the market is asking for. The method is to bring people where the world is going, i.e. new jobs. We must invent something."

Coni Servizi CEO Alberto Miglietta has highlighted the centrality of School of Sport in CONI strategies. "The wide sharing of this event testifies its importance and confirms the efforts of Coni Servizi to fullfil CONI objectives. The school is an investment for our know how to trasmit it to young people, working as a team and making the most relevant competences available in order to develop the didactic modules. Building the future of those who will be close to us and then will substitute us is a challenge. We have chosen the Sala della Scherma because in order to become directors we must start from the gyms, from the field, as this room where so many successes of Italian sport have been built can testify."

Rossana Ciuffetti, Director of the School of Sport, has thanked the numerous people attending and Coni Servizi General Director of Coni Servizi Michele Uva, who has supported the project. "A cycle of renewal is taking place, which started one year ago in order to make the School closer and closer to sport and open to the necessities of the marker. This course is requested by the new issues, because sport must drive the economy of the country, investing in the training of the future management bench. This is a team work that will allow the young students to carry out a stage in CONI facilities, thanks to the plan created by the Scientific Committee of which I am part of, lead by the Antonello Bernaschi and also composed by Michele Uva, Valeria Panzironi, Mario Nicoliello and Alberto Acciari."

Antonello Bernaschi, as Scientific Committee President, has gone into details regarding the course: "The didactic modules are 12 and mirror the complexity of the National sport system. In addition to the contents, we are willing to transmit values, and not to build bureaucrates. Those who make sport have passion and can transmit emotions. CIO President Thomas Bach has recently remembered that in 100 years of history CONI has represented a model because of high level directors. We want to go on feeding this tradition."

Fiona May has given a picture of the athletes' point of view. "I want to invest in my future, devoting myself to the world who acclaimed me. It is fundamental to make sport and also specialization: this course represents at last an opportunity to teach to the youngest ones." The lessons will be divided in 18 weeks full time, from the 14^th of October, 2014, to the 5^th of March, 2015, with a final entrance examination to access the stage, which will be composed of 300 hours until August 2015.