Inaugural Olympic Esports Games to be held in Riyadh in 2027
- FIRST EDITION
The first edition of the Olympic Esports Games, a landmark event both in the world of esports and within the Olympic Movement, will be held in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Road to the Games with the first Olympic competitions will already start this year, it was announced today.
The IOC made history in July last year, when the 142nd IOC Session decided to create the Olympic Esports Games. For the organisation of these, the IOC is partnering with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC).
As part of this cooperation, the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) will become the Founding Partner of the Olympic Esports Games. The IOC-EWCF partnership aims to create a lasting impact, bridging the gap between esports and traditional sports while expanding opportunities for players and teams representing their countries.
As the Founding Partner of the Olympic Esports Games, the EWCF brings its expertise in game selection, tournament structures and ecosystem engagement to drive innovation in the development of the Olympic Esports Games. The IOC and EWCF will collaborate closely with key stakeholders to establish qualification pathways, enhance competitive integrity, and align the national esports ecosystems with broader global standards.
The EWCF is a non-profit organisation committed to fostering the growth and development of esports and gaming worldwide. As the driving force behind the Esports World Cup, the EWCF works to elevate the industry by shaping competitive structures, strengthening the esports ecosystem, and ensuring the integrity, sustainability and growth of esports.
The cooperation between the IOC and the SOPC was the major topic of a meeting between the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, HRH Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, IOC President Thomas Bach and the President of the SOPC and Minister of Sports, HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal in Riyadh on Sunday (photo Royal Court).
President Bach said: “There is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games. With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality. This is further evidence of the strength of the partnership between the IOC and the SOPC in many areas”.
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said: “Today the journey to the first-ever Olympic Esports Games is clear, with an immediate timeline that works for all parties and sees the Road to Olympic Esports Games start in 2025. Together with the IOC there is real momentum, unity and clarity on the way forward, with the focus now on delivering. Already Saudi Arabia is looking forward to welcoming the world and playing its part to help the dreams of so many esports athletes come true. Just as we are seeing across all sports in the Kingdom, there is real growth and new opportunities to grasp as part of an exciting future for all”.
The partnership between the IOC and the SOPC comes at a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has staged over 100 international events for both male and female athletes, including esports, football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian and golf, attracting more than three million sports fans.
Overall sports participation levels have more than tripled since 2015 to almost 50 per cent of the country’s population. The number of sports federations has also increased threefold during this time, from 32 to 97.
A joint committee of the IOC and the SOPC has been set up to steer the Games. It is chaired by IOC Member Ser Miang Ng and co-chaired by HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal. The committee consists of six people, three from each partner, and is currently working to define the games that will be part of the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games.
OMEGA Begins The Countdown to The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
- MILAN
The countdown to Milano Cortina 2026 has begun. As Official Timekeeper of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA has marked the moment with a special “One Year To Go” celebration in Milano - one of the two Italian host cities.
Especially for the occasion, the brand unveiled its stunning new Countdown Clock next to Milano’s iconic cathedral at the Piazza del Duomo. Similar to a snow globe, the giant clock has been tailor-made with a special airflow system that creates a continuous artificial snowfall effect around the competition logo. On the outside of the cube, two digital displays keep track of the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games on February 6th, 2026, as well as the Paralympic Winter Games, beginning on March 6th.
Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, was joined by Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee; Alain Zobrist, CEO of OMEGA Timing; and Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation.
Raynald Aeschlimann said, “We can already feel the anticipation and excitement building for the winter events at Milano Cortina 2026. We know the athletes will have their dreams set on this huge upcoming occasion, and it makes everyone at OMEGA very proud to know we will be there to time their historic moments”.
Thomas Bach said, “The Olympic Games relies of the precision and experience of OMEGA. They are experts in the Official Timekeeping role and we continue to value their commitment and enduring passion. It’s an honour for me to join this one-year countdown on behalf of the IOC”.
Speaking about the brand’s role as Official Timekeeper, Alain Zobrist said, “With our precision timing and data measurement, OMEGA looks forward to telling the full story of each event in Milano Cortina. We’re expecting another thrilling edition of close finishes and dramatic results”.
Giovanni Malagò said, “Starting the OMEGA countdown today is an emotional moment. The Opening Ceremony now feels so close and we can’t wait to host the world here in Italy. I know that Milano and Cortina will create a fantastic atmosphere, and our venues will provide the perfect stage for sporting greatness”.
OMEGA has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, and the Official Timekeeper of the Paralympic Games since 1992. Throughout this time, the brand has introduced some of the most important timekeeping technologies in sport, while recording every performance with utmost precision. OMEGA’s critical role is essential to the successful outcome of the events and is relied upon at each edition by athletes, judges, and spectators alike.
Prime Minister Meloni welcomes IOC President Bach and President Malagò
- AT PALAZZO CHIGI
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni today welcomed the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, to Palazzo Chigi. During the meeting (photo: Presidency of the Council), a range of topics related to the Olympic and sporting movement were discussed, with particular attention given to the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Minister Valditara meets IOC President Bach and President Malagò, “Promoting Olympic values in schools”
- AT THE MINISTRY
Today, the Minister for Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, welcomed Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), to the Ministry (MIM), together with a delegation of students from the Convitto Nazionale “Vittorio Emanuele II” in Rome (photo: MIM).
“During the meeting, we discussed the importance of promoting the value of sport in schools, a value which, since the very beginnings of the Olympics, has had the power to unite people. Sport teaches us to compete fairly, to respect the rules, and to value each person’s talents,” said Minister Valditara.
The Ministry for Education and Merit has launched the distribution of OVEP (Olympic Values Education Programme) toolkits, a set of educational resources made available to teachers at schools of all levels. Developed by the International Olympic Committee, the programme provides a collection of tools designed to enrich the school curriculum with themed activities, teaching strategies and materials inspired by Olympic values. The toolkit also promotes physical activity, highlighting its long-term benefits for health, social wellbeing and youth interaction, while also helping to integrate civic education teaching.
“As a Ministry and as a Government, we are committed to spreading Olympic principles and a culture of sport in schools. Practising sport means learning to respect your opponent, who is never an enemy. Sport also means commitment; it teaches us to study and helps reduce early school leaving. For these reasons, we have allocated €890 million, sourced not only from the NRRP but also from ministerial funds, to enable schools to equip themselves with gyms. And today marks the opening in Cortina of a special edition of Scuola Futura, the travelling campus created and organised by the MIM, promoting educational and digital innovation, in collaboration with CONI, the Olympic Committee and the Milano Cortina Foundation. The aim is to showcase the excellence and beauty of Italian schools, even in mountain areas” concluded the Minister.
IOC President Bach meets representatives of Italian sport: “Thank you, Italia!”
- AT CONI
The Salone d’Onore of CONI provided the stage for the meeting between IOC President Thomas Bach and representatives of the Italian sporting world. “It is a great honour to have President Bach with us,” declared CONI President Giovanni Malagò, as he introduced the leader of the International Olympic Committee. “He will be with us until Thursday, when we will celebrate ‘One Year to Go’ to Milano Cortina 2026 in Milan”.
“The reason I am here is to say ‘Thank you, Italia’,” explained Bach. “I must thank the Olympic community and the institutions. This morning, I expressed my gratitude to President Mattarella, who has always been a great supporter of Olympic values. My affection for Italy goes back a long way, to my school days: my neighbours owned an ice cream parlour and allowed me to earn a little money by working there and learning the secrets of Italian gelato” recalled the IOC President.
“I have spent a lot of time in Italy and there are moments I will never forget. One in particular stands out: when Mario Pescante and Franco Carraro revealed to me that they would support my candidacy for the IOC Presidency. I want to thank them both, I will never forget it,” continued Bach, also thanking former President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations Francesco Ricci Bitti, IOC member Ivo Ferriani, and international presidents Luciano Rossi and Sabatino Aracu. “Today, I would like to gift the Italian Olympic community the IOC President’s Trophy, also known as ‘The Sky is the Limit’,” he concluded, as he presented the sculpture to President Malagò. “Thank you, Italia. Forza Italia”.
"This is an award that CONI shares with all of you," said Malagò, addressing the representatives of the sports bodies. "I think you are all proud to be part of this family, and this recognition is the highest honour for what CONI has achieved throughout its history".
During the meeting, Malagò also awarded the Collare d’Oro, the highest sporting honour, to the Italian Sports Medicine Federation, represented by President Maurizio Casasco, “for the work carried out during Covid”. “Our country was an example to the entire world and I want to thank you in front of President Bach,” explained the CONI President.
“It is a great honour to receive the Collare d’Oro. I thank Malagò,” emphasised Casasco. “During the Covid period, we worked day and night to launch a protocol that allowed everyone to carry out physical activity safely. We did the same during the vaccination phase, with the direct involvement of our doctors. We are proud to have safeguarded public health”.
Il Presidente CIO Bach incontra al CONI lo sport italiano. Malagò premiato con "The Sky is the Limit’”
IOC President Thomas Bach visits the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre, then meets sports leaders and Minister of the Economy Giorgetti
- CONI
The IOC President, Thomas Bach, visited the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre this morning. After his meeting at the Quirinal Palace with President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the head of the global sporting movement, accompanied by CONI President Giovanni Malagò, visited the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science. Guided by Medical Director Professor Andrea Ferretti, Head of the Olympic Area Dr Maria Rosaria Squeo, and Giampiero Pastore, Head of the Institute, he expressed his appreciation for the facility, which serves as the national reference point for all Italian Olympic athletes.
In the physio room, the IOC President greeted Italia Team athletes engaged in their respective rehabilitation programmes: Chiara Mormile (fencing), Giulia Imperio (weightlifting) and Lorenzo Simonelli (athletics). He then met Simone Alessio, the Olympic bronze medallist in taekwondo from Paris 2024.
Bach, together with Malagò, then moved on to the Sports High School of the Convitto Nazionale “Vittorio Emanuele II”, located within the Olympic Preparation Centre, where he greeted students from various classes, including Matteo Santoro, a national team diving athlete.
Later, the IOC President visited the centre’s new multi-purpose sports hall, where he met Italrugby coach Gonzalo Quesada, currently in training with the National Team ahead of the Six Nations. In the sports hall, Bach also spoke with staff from the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science, wishing them good luck for Milano Cortina 2026.
In the centre’s lounge, after greeting Vito Dell’Aquila, the Olympic taekwondo champion from Tokyo 2020, Bach met with Italian executives holding senior international roles. The IOC President was welcomed on his arrival by the Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti, CONI Secretary General Carlo Mornati, and Vice-Presidents Silvia Salis and Claudia Giordani. The lunch was also attended by IOC member Ivo Ferriani, former CONI Presidents and IOC honorary members Franco Carraro and Mario Pescante, European Olympic Committees Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi, Milano Cortina 2026 CEO Andrea Varnier, Chief Strategy Planning Legacy Officer Diana Bianchedi, City Operations Manager Antonio Rossi, and several International Federation Presidents. Among those present were Professor Fabio Pigozzi, President of the International Federation of Sports Medicine; former President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations Francesco Ricci Bitti; Raffaele Chiulli, President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations; and Presidents of International Federations Sabatino Aracu (roller sports), Luigi Carraro (padel), Luciano Rossi (shooting), Marco Scolaris (sport climbing), and Massimo Sertori, Lombardy Region Councillor for Local Authorities, Mountains, Energy Resources, and Water Resource Use.
Il Presidente CIO Thomas Bach visita il CPO Onesti, poi incontro con dirigenti sportivi italiani
Thomas Bach received by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella: Giovanni Malagò also present at the meeting
- AT THE QUIRINALE
The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, met this morning at the Quirinal Palace with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. The private audience was also attended by the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò.
The IOC awards the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2028 to Dolomiti Valtellina. Malagò: “A historic day for Italian sport”
- FIFTH EDITION
The Italian Alps are set to host the next Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2028. The decision was made today by the members of the IOC during the 143rd session of the International Olympic Committee held in Lausanne.
Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 will be the fifth edition of the Winter YOG. The competitions will take place exclusively at existing venues across three clusters in Valtellina, Trentino and Cortina, returning to some of the iconic sports facilities that will also be used for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The 2028 YOG will form part of the legacy of Milano Cortina 2026, reinvesting in communities with strong traditions in winter sports.
The project is led by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), the regional governments of Veneto and Lombardy, and the Autonomous Province of Trento, with the support of the Government. It is in line with long-term plans to raise the profile of these regions as destinations for winter sports.
The Italian delegation at the Olympic House included Giovanni Malagò (full speech available here), President of CONI and IOC Member for Italy; Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth; Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombardy Region; Maurizio Fugatti, President of the Autonomous Province of Trento; Cristiano Corazzari, Councillor for Culture and Sport of the Veneto Region; and Olympic champions Diana Bianchedi and Antonio Rossi.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The choice of Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 is a sign of the IOC’s confidence in Italy’s ability to deliver outstanding, world-class winter sports events. The Olympic Movement and the host regions are already excited about Milano Cortina 2026, with just over a year to go before the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Today’s news means that the enthusiasm will continue through to the end of the decade, and the benefits for local communities will carry on.”
Abodi added: “Italy is once again ready to put heart, passion and expertise into hosting an event that will not only be a spectacular sporting occasion but also a significant opportunity for the whole nation’s growth. We aim to inspire younger generations to embrace the values of sport as a tool for inclusion and social cohesion – a universal language capable of uniting cultures and nations and fostering the diplomacy we so need.”
Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 will be possible, Abodi continued, thanks to full collaboration between the Government, the Lombardy Region, the Veneto Region, the Autonomous Province of Trento and CONI. “The organisation of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will be another showcase for the infrastructure delivered by SIMICO – Società Infrastrutture Milano Cortina – leaving further positive legacies in terms of sports facilities, educational programmes and social initiatives that will continue to have an impact long after the YOG 2028 have concluded.”
Karl Stoss, IOC member and Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, the IOC body responsible for monitoring and assessing interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games and the Winter Youth Olympic Games, presented the IOC’s report on Dolomiti Valtellina 2028. “Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 will consolidate the impact of Milano Cortina 2026 and further build on the legacy programmes to develop young athletes and civic leaders,” said Stoss. “The Commission found that the vision for the Youth Olympic Games is fully aligned with long-term regional plans, youth policies, sport and education initiatives, and the goals of Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5.”
The programme, running from 15 to 29 January 2028, will include all seven Olympic winter sports: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing.
Seven of the 11 proposed venues for the YOG will already be in use in 2026: the Stelvio slope in Bormio for alpine skiing, the Aerials & Mogul Park and Snow Park in Livigno for freestyle and snowboard, the Sliding Centre in Cortina for bobsleigh, skeleton and luge, the Predazzo ski jumping stadium, the Tesero cross-country ski stadium, and the Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium for curling. There is also the opportunity to host competitions at venues that could not be used for 2026.
No athlete will be more than an hour away from their competition venue, with seven of the 11 venues located within 15 minutes of their respective villages.
A festival of sport, art and local culture will take place throughout 2027, culminating in the Olympic Torch celebrations in December. During the YOG, festival sites will operate in Bormio and Trento.
The YOG will provide young people with a platform to take on leadership roles, practise winter sports and adopt healthier lifestyles. An ambitious series of legacy initiatives will be extended from 2026 to 2028, including Milano Cortina 2026’s “More Movement” goal, promoting 30 minutes of daily exercise and working with national federations to encourage youth participation in competitive sport.
The recent hosting of the Olympic Winter Games will bring efficiencies in areas such as venues, transport infrastructure, workforce and marketing.
The YOG will be managed by a dedicated Organising Committee with a Memorandum of Understanding with Milano Cortina 2026, to foster collaboration between the two entities.
CONI President Giovanni Malagò stated: “This is a historic day for Italian sport and for athletes around the world. Building on the extraordinary legacy of Milano Cortina 2026, Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 will offer a unique opportunity to inspire new generations, showcase the transformative power of sport, and set new benchmarks for global events. This major achievement for our country was made possible thanks to the strong support of the national Government and the dedication of our regional and local partners. Italy and CONI have proven to be reliable partners of the IOC, and together we will certainly deliver an unprecedented edition of the YOG.”
IOC members voted 89 “yes” to Dolomiti Valtellina and 1 “no” out of 90 valid votes, with 2 abstentions.
Il CIO assegna a Dolomiti Valtellina i Giochi Olimpici Giovanili Invernali 2028
Winter EYOF: 56 Azzurrini to compete in Georgia. Women’s national hockey team debut on 7 February
- BAKURIANI 2025
The team for the seventeenth edition of the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival has been announced.
Fifty-six Azzurrini will represent Italy at the event organised by the European Olympic Committees, dedicated to athletes aged 14 to 18, scheduled from 9 to 16 February in the Georgian cities of Bakuriani, Tbilisi and Batumi.
The Italian team will compete across all eight disciplines on the programme, with a total of 56 athletes – 19 boys and 37 girls – facing their peers from other European nations. Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, will host the hockey tournament, while the biathlon, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding events will take place on the slopes of Bakuriani. Batumi, meanwhile, will stage the figure skating and short track competitions.
Among the selected Azzurri are two athletes who were part of the delegation that topped the medal table at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games last year. Gregorio Marchelli, who will compete in snowboarding, and Giorgia Todesco, a member of the ice hockey team.
It will be the women’s ice hockey team that kicks off the competitions, facing Finland in the first match of the group stage, scheduled for Friday 7 February at the Tbilisi Ice Arena.
The official opening ceremony of the Bakuriani 2025 Winter EYOF will take place on 9 February.
Bakuriani 2025 takes over from the edition held in the mountains of Friuli Venezia Giulia in January 2023, where Italy achieved a record result with 21 medals: 6 golds, 8 silvers and 7 bronzes.
Italia Team bids farewell to 2024 with pride and awareness: records in Paris and a year of extraordinary successes
- THE TRICOLOUR FLIES HIGH
A year of thrills, a year of triumphs, a year of medals. 2024 closes as a historic chapter for Italian sport, with the Azzurri shining both at senior and youth level.
Just hours before the arrival of 2025, it is time to take stock. The numbers show an Italia Team excelling across all rankings: third for number of podiums (across the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, World Cup stages and international tournaments), behind the United States and France – one position better than in 2023; fourth worldwide (up two places from the previous year) and second in Europe for victories. Italia Team is also third for the number of athletes placed among the top eight across all competitions held this year. It reflects the strength of a thriving and victorious multisport movement, starting from the highlight of the year: Paris 2024, the best Olympics in the history of Italia Team.
40 medals (12 golds, 13 silvers, and 15 bronzes), the same number as the record set in Tokyo 2020 but with two more golds (10 to 12) and three more silvers (10 to 13). The ninth-place finish in the medal table confirms our country’s place among the world’s sporting elite (seventh overall in terms of podiums, third in Europe behind Great Britain and host nation France). Since the last four days of Rio 2016, Italy has never been off the Olympic podium. This streak continued in Tokyo and Paris (photo: Simone Ferraro CONI), reaching 36 consecutive days, and remaining open ahead of the next major summer target: Los Angeles 2028.
The year began with the Olympic Games – the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon (South Korea), where, for the first time in any Olympic event, senior or junior, Italia Team won the overall medal table (a day in advance) with a record number of gold medals (11): a feat never before achieved by any other country in the history of the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
But the Tricolour was not only flown proudly under the five rings. From the world title of judoka Odette Giuffrida to the dominance of sailors Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti in the Nacra 17, from the world championship victories of Simona Quadarella (swimming) and Francesco Fortunato and Valentina Trapletti (race walking) to what proved to be the finest season in the history of Italian tennis, culminating in Italy’s triumphs both in the men’s Davis Cup and the women’s Billie Jean King Cup.
And then the multiple European titles, the World Cup successes, and the great results collected on snow and ice by athletes moving confidently towards the next five-ringed milestone; the home Olympics: Milano Cortina 2026. We celebrate the achievements of today and work towards the triumphs of tomorrow, always with the passion for sport and the Azzurra shirt.
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