"Hurray for Sport", BNL and CONI support the practice of sport

BNL, part of the BNP Paribas Group, continues developing solutions for the daily life of people and launches the “Prestito BNL W lo Sport” ("Hurray for Sport BNL loan"), a product to finance, in a sustainable way and with special conditions, the expenses to access sport training or to acquire equipment for all those who live sport as an important element in their life: not only athletes but also young people, families and university students, or those who simply do a sport in their free time.

In Italy*, in addition to 4.5 million registered athletes, more than 18 million people devote themselves on a regular basis to sport activities on an amateur level and 16 million do some physical exercise (like swimming, trekking or cycling) in their free time. For its value in the physical and psychological growth of the individual, sport practice is very common amongst young people and family plays a very influential role: if parents are sedentary, only four teenagers out of ten practice a sport, while in those families in which parents enjoy sport, the relationship is of eight out ten.

For families, practising a sport is demanding not only from a physical perspective, but also in terms of time and costs. The “Prestito BNL W lo Sport” ("Hurray for Sport BNL loan") was indeed born to help the dissemination and practice of sport, with the belief that a society that enjoys sport is also a healthier society. The loan meets the need to spread over the year the costs that normally are concentrated in autumn and that could entail budget difficulties. It is possible to get up to three thousand Euros with a particularly good interest rate (3.97% APR), without credit check costs and repayable within a maximum term of 12 months: for 1000 Euros, for example, the monthly instalment is 85.10 Euros and the total interest is 21.30 Euros, on a year-long loan.

The "Hurray for Sport BNL loan" is the result of the collaboration with CONI, with which the Bank has a strong relationship lasting for more than 70 years, and which, from this year, has become even stronger with the partnership for the Olympic Games of 2016 in Brazil. BNL and CONI share a history made of momentous events, such as the Rome Olympics of 1960 and the Football World Cup "Italia '90";

unique initiatives such as the sponsorship for the Winter Olympics at Nagano in 1998, or the "BNL Cerchi e stelle" (BNL Circles and Stars) project, supporting five female athletes of the Italian National team (Erica Alfridi, Deborah Gelisio, Josefa Idem, Ylenia Scapin e Alessandra Sensini) at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, to quote only the most significant. Furthermore, BNL is the partner of 44 Sport Federations and the Bank of the Italian Paralympic Committee and of the main Federations connected to it.

"In a changing world, our Sport activity is to make yours possible" is the catchphrase of the new campaign signed by the TBWA\Italia company. Creativity is aimed at highlighting, through images that bring together sport and daily life, the care shown by the bank for the spread of sport culture, but also the capacity of the Bank to create transparent products and services, which are practical and useful, making small and large projects happen in the everyday life of people.

"BNL & CONI - train our tomorrow" is, instead, the payoff of the campaign: a stamp of quality that will accompany all initiatives of the partnership between the Bank and CONI.

The media campaign approach is composed of a planning on the national press and by posters on the road and in the underground in Rome and Milan and in the BNL branches across Italy, together with the presence on the digital channels and social media of the Bank and on Twitter, with the hashtag #alleniamoildomani.

Finally, on the toll-free telephone number 800.98.99.99 and at the page coni.bnl,it, especially created for the initiative, it is possible to obtain all information on the product and book an appointment to discuss it further with a consultant at a BNL branch.

The Schwazer case: TNA, the Italian Anti-Doping Court, rejects the appeal to cancel his disqualification

The second section of the Italian Anti-Doping Court, chaired by Luigi Fumagalli, rejected the appeal presented by Alex Schwazer requesting his disqualification to be cancelled. The decision was based upon article 4.6.1.2 CSA: the article sets out, in accordance to article 10.6.1.1 WADC, that CONI NADO (now NADO ITALIA) can cancel a portion of the period of disqualification "only with the consent" of WADA and the relevant International Federation. Negative opinions were provided by both IAAF on 14 July 2015 and WADA on 6 August 2015, while any evaluation remained unchanged concerning the existence of an active collaboration to investigate violations of anti-doping regulations between these agencies. The court also ordered the decision to be communicated to the  Anti-Doping Prosecutor's Office (UPA), to WADA and to IAAF.

Kostner eligible to compete in 2016 after setting dispute with WADA and the Italian NADO

The disciplinary case involving the Italian figure skating athlete, Ms. Carolina Kostner, the World Anti-Doping (WADA) and the Ufficio di Procura Antidoping (UPA) of the NADO Italia relating to an alleged violation of the Italian Anti-Doping Rules by Ms. Kostner, has been settled by means of an agreement between the parties.

On 30 July 2013, a Doping Control Officer (DCO) attempted to conduct a doping control on Ms. Kostner’s the partner, Mr. Alex Schwazer at the home of Ms. Kostner. Ms. Kostner falsely advised the DCO that Mr. Schwazer was not at the premises. Ms. Kostner has since recognized that she committed a serious error of judgment by misleading the doping control officer, and she has accepted that her conduct violated the Anti-Doping Rules.

The parties have agreed to increase the sixteen-month sanction imposed at first instance by the National Anti-Doping Tribunal by five months. The resulting twenty one month ineligibility period is backdated to 1 April 2014 based on procedural delays that are not attributable to Ms. Kostner. Ms. Kostner will therefore be eligible to participate in competitions from 1 January 2016.

The Rome 2024 Olympic dream is now online

• OLYMPIC GAMES

From today, Rome’s vision for hosting the 2024 Olympic Games is online. The teaser version of the website www.2024roma.org gives the world the first taste of Rome’s exciting plans to deliver the greatest festival of sport.

The website includes a new video which emphasises the beauty and culture of this ancient city. In the film, petals carry the audience on a journey through Rome, flying gracefully over the most beautiful corners of the city, revealing monuments such as the Colisseum, sports facilities and green spaces. The film also deliberately focuses on children - the generation who will become the star Olympic athletes of 2024. These are at the heart of our mission to bring the Olympic Games to Rome for the first time since 1960.

The site also offers the first elements of Rome 2024’s vision, which begins with a famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt:

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

And Rome believes in it. The city’s dream, explained in the vision, is articulated between the desire to give the world an Olympic Games that revives the values ​​of friendship between peoples and that tears down old and new walls and boundaries throwing a bridge to peace.

The dream is also to give today's children a great celebration in their own home; to offer a magical stage and the unparalleled beauty and art of Rome to the Games and, finally, to forge new champions and athletes who will write the history of the games. The time is now.  

Because, to quote Mattie JT Stepanek: "Although the future seems far away, it actually starts right now."

School year opening ceremony, Malagò in Naples with 10 athletes. Mattarella: more sport, more legality

This morning, in the "Sannino-Petriccione" school, in the Ponticelli neighbourhood in Naples, the opening ceremony for the 2015-2016 school year took place, with the presence of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who wanted to send out a strong message by choosing a new place for the ceremony, departing from the consolidated habit of hosting it at the Quirinal Palace (Palace of the President of the Republic).    

The President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, and the President of the Paralympic Committee, Luca Pancalli, both took part in the event.  The Head of State and the Minister of Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini, delivered their message to students and teachers, with their best wishes for the new school year. "Education is key to the civic spirit of a Country. You must devote yourselves to growing the hope in building a better world" was one of the key passages of the speech by President Mattarella. The Head of State also emphasised the role of sport in the education of young people. "Sport can help school a lot, as can be seen by champions that are with us today: where there is greater dedication to sport, there is more legality".

President Malagò emphasised the closeness of the Head of State to competitive sports.  "Day after day, President Mattarella demonstrates a real interest and receptiveness for what concerns the world of sport and this makes us proud, his closeness is remarkable and means a lot to us. We went through a lot of criticism with regards to sport in schools, and, as you know, CONI's role in schools is not formally recognised, but we wanted to do our part in all honesty, with efforts that where not only financial in nature, but also organisational and infrastructural".

On the podium, amongst others, there were also champions of the Italian National team, known as the Azzurri ("the Blues"): Rossella Fiamingo, Diego Occhiuzzi and Luca Curatoli (fencing), Clemente Russo and Irma Testa (boxing), Alessandro Velotto (water polo), Giovanni Esposito, Antonio Esposito and Biagio D'Angelo (judo) e Bebe Vio (paralympic fencing).

The athletes recounted their recent feats (above all Rossella Fiamingo and Bebe Vio, who have recently become world champions in their disciplines), looking ahead towards Rio 2016. Clemente Russo also highlighted his personal record: he will be the first Italian boxer - the fourth in the world - to take part in four editions of the Olympic Games.

The event, which opened with the national hymn, was led by Fabrizio Frizzi, who presented different initiatives organised by schools on immigration, integration, justice, social engagement, music and sport. Around 2,000 pupils from schools all over Italy were selected on the basis of projects and learning activities devised with their teachers on the themes of interculture, integration, legal education, participation in school life. During the ceremony, webcam connections were established with nine Italian schools that made an advanced use of technology in teaching. Amongst the celebrities present was actor Flavio Insinna, singer Lorenzo Fragola and astronaut Samantha Cristoferetti.

Malagò attends the Cross Triathlon World Championships, together with Bianchi and Casado, President of ITU and member of CIO

Today, in Orosei, the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, attended the 2015 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, the first world tournament of this off road discipline to be hosted by Italy. Malagò followed the event together with the President of FITRI, Luigi Bianchi (in the photo FITRI-Giardina) and with Marisol Casado, President of ITU and member of CIO.

A total of 685 athletes from 31 countries on all continents took part in the event: in the female tournament, an excellent seventh place for Monica Cibin, and Elisabetta Curridori arrived 14th. In the male tournament, Mattia De Paoli arrived 15th, Fabrizio Baralla 24th and Leonardo Ballerini 30th. In the junior division Marica Romano arrived fourth and Jacob Sosniok fifth. In the under 23, Alessio Burraccioni gained eighth place

Historic event: 5 a-side football in the 2018 Youth Olympics. Malagò: "it is important for young people and for schools"

It is a momentous turning point. Today FIFA decided to give the go-ahead to the introduction of futsal (male and female) in the next Youth Olympics, planned for 2018 in Buenos Aires. The official seal of approval of this great novelty arrived in an official note circulated at the end of the FIFA Executive Committee meeting that took place today in Zurich, approving the international calendar for 2018-2024.

"As great fan and ex player of 5 a-side, I cannot but be happy for and proud of the introduction of this discipline in the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics", said Giovanni Malagò, President of Coni. "This decision represents an important recognition of the international status of futsal, and will allow its further development and establishment, together with a very significant growth amongst young people and in schools".

"Futsal at the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics is an extraordinary result, a very significant stepping stone in its international growth, to which Italy has also given a decisive contribution, with its great involvement in this field.  I wish that our National team might be able to participate and demonstrate also in this field the quality of the Italian football system", commented FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio.

"I was deeply touched, I thought back to the early days of its development, to all fans that gave rise to this discipline, I thought of the exponential growth of these years both on a national and international level", said the President of the 5 a-side Division, Fabrizio Tonelli.  "Seeing Futsal at the Youth Olympics is the result of a long work carried out by the whole system, together with friends of the FIFA and UEFA commissions, for the recognition of futsal: this is a significant outcome, which, possibly even more importantly, will give a great impetus to the youth movement connected to this discipline and to the relationship between 5 a-side football and schools".

Fausto Coppi returns to Castellania. Malagò inaugurates the statue realised for Rome 1960

Castellania pays homage to its foremost Champion, the "Campionissimo". Today, Castellania, a town in the province of Alessandria that saw the birth of Fausto Coppi, inaugurated the statue of the cyclist. It is a bronze statue created for the 1960 Rome Olympics by artist Volterrano Volterrani.

The initiative, promoted by the Fausto and Serse Coppi Association of Castellaria, led by Claudio Pesci, was possible thanks to the receptiveness of CONI, which conceded as a free loan to the Municipality the use of the sculpture.

The inauguration occurred with the presence of Giovanni Malagò, President of CONI, and Alberto Miglietta, Managing Director of Coni Services, together with His Excellency Vittorio Viola, Bishop of Tortona, the children of the "Campionissimo", Marina and Fausto, and Sergio Vallenzona, Mayor of Castellania.

The statue, once on display in front of the Rome Velodrome, has remained in Eur's warehouses for a long time. "We managed to overcome many problems and to bring this important work of art to its natural home", said the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò,  "It took five years to get all the authorisations, including the one from the Monuments and Fine Arts Office, to bring the work of art back to its splendour and display it in the town that Fausto Coppi made famous."

"Sport has always been my addiction", added Malagò, "and my father is a great fan of Coppi.  He always told me that, whatever I did in life, I should always have only one idol: Fausto Coppi, an athlete that was and is unique in the world". In Castellania, the President of CONI also visited the mausoleum dedicated to the cycling champion.

Taormina exalts fencing. Entertainment, sport competition and a lot of excitement

Pure entertainment, full of excitement. Magic feelings and a real sport competition. The ancient theatre of Taormina welcomed with all its charm the fencing event featuring Italy against the Rest of the world, in the two specialities of female foil and the male épée.  The event was organised as part of the initiatives to support Expo 2015, under the auspices of the Prime Minister's Office and of CONI. The project, "SPORT @ EXPO2015 - Nutrition and sport teamwork", created in collaboration with ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities), already brought water polo to Capri and female volleyball to Florence.

Taormina and its ancient theatre have created a real show in parallel with the fencing tournament.  Dancers of the Company of Araund Mnais opened the evening, while "Molecole volanti" (flying molecules) performed aerial dances and the Joculares group did a fire performance.

It was then the time of the female foil dream team. Valentina Vezzali, Arianna Errigo, Elisa Di Francisca and Martina Batini put themselves to the test with a real match against the champions of the rest of the world, led by the German Carolin Golubytskyi, the French Ysaora Thibus, the American Nzingha Prescod and the Tunisian Ines Boubakri. All amongst the finest fencers.

Indeed, it was not easy for the Italian team to win. After a good start, when Vezzali and her companions managed to lead by as much as 17 points (30-13), the patient work of the American Prescod and French Thibus slowly eroded all the advantage away from both Errigo and Di Francisca. The final was breathtaking, with the score getting to 47 on both sides, but the last winning thrust came from Arianna Errigo.

Equally balanced also the male épée.match.  Enrico Garozzo, Marco Fichera, Andrea Santarelli and Gabriele Cimini started falling behind against the Venezuelan Ruben Limardo, the Hungarian Geza Imre, the Spanish Josè Luis Abajo e the Senegalese Alexandre Bouzaid.

But the Italian team managed to react and get on the lead, if only by a small amount, during the second part of the match, closing first with Garozzo 45 to 42 against the world champion Imre, and then, in the last match, Marco Fichera against Abajo managed to bring victory to the Italian team with an analogous 48-47. In truth, it was sport that won.

After the tournament, grand finale with different groups performing on stage. There is still time to pay tribute to the fencer that won the most Olympic medals of all times: Edoardo Mangiarotti. The 13 times in which he stood on the Olympic podium were celebrated by the CONI Deputy President and President of the Italian Fencing Federation, Giorgio Scarso, and by the President of CONI Sicily regional Committee, Sergio D'Antoni, with a plate for the two athletes that totalled the highest number of thrusts in the two competitions.  Valentina Vezzali won the award for female foil and the Spanish Josè Luis Abajo the award for male épée.  The awards were handed over by the daughter of the unforgotten "King of the épée", Carola Mangiarotti.

Generale Gallitelli is nominated as head of NADO ITALY. Malagò: this choice stands for credibility

This morning, at the Foro Italico, Giovanni Malagò, President of CONI, together with Roberto Fabbricini, Secretary General, and Carlo Mornati, Deputy Secretary General, presented today the new Head of the Anti-doping agency NADO ITALY, General Leonardo Gallitelli, former Commander of the Arma dei Carabinieri (National Military Police Corps).

The nomination of Gallitelli was approved by the meeting of the National Board, which was held last Tuesday in Turin. President Malagò, expressing the feeling of pride of the Italian sport world for the high profile of the new Head, revealed the path that lead to a nomination that has what it takes to embody the turning point in the anti-doping sector.  "It is a further step along the way opened by Cosimo Piccinno, whom I remember always with respect and fondness. After the implementation document signed in May with the NAS (department of the carabinieri responsible for controls of foodstuff, drinks, medicine, etc.), it remained for us to choose the person to run the organisation, to be identified together with the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Health. I presented Gallitellli's name to the Prime MInister, Matteo Renzi, who agreed with the choice, and then I received also the complete and unconditional approval of the Minister of Health, Beatrice Lorenzin. This change of power confirms the will to bring even more transparency to an anti-doping agency with recognised credibility, certified also by WADA, and appreciated internationally. Gallitelli's nomination stands for even more credibility, the certainty to be able to rely on a responsible and important contribution.  He will take every decision: he accepted after having considered and researched the topic. I am also grateful to NAS as they allowed us to develop this path. NAS will be given an important award for their contribution to the sporting world in the anti-doping field".

General Leonardo Gallitelli thanked Malagò and the world of sport for the prestigious nomination. "After my experience of more than 47 years in the Carabinieri, I was looking for an experience that would provide continuity in its content. Over the years, we fought against all substances polluting our social life, and doping also fits in this category. NADO ITALY will operate with independence and autonomy. What has been done to this day speaks of great efficiency; it is a privilege to be able to count on an excellent base, constituted by the current organisation. Absolute rigour will reign over our operations, with the will to continue to develop and advance this model".