Lombardy shines in Lignano Sabbiadoro, claims tenth edition of Trofeo CONI

FOR THE SECOND TIME

30 September 2025

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Lombardy has emerged as the winner of the tenth edition of the Trofeo CONI, which concluded today in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Friuli Venezia Giulia. Under the leadership of Marco Riva, CONI Lombardia topped the standings with 116 points, ahead of Piedmont (111) and Apulia (110).

The Olympic Region of Lombardy – host of the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games – returns to victory in Italy’s most important multi-sport event for under-14 athletes, eight years on from its last triumph in Senigallia (2017).

Not even the bad weather could spoil the celebration for the record-breaking 4,600 participants, who gathered in Friuli Venezia Giulia to compete across 44 sports.

As a result, the party shifted from Lignano’s golden beach to the Bella Italia Village Sports Hall, which hosted much of the competition. The winning Committee was announced by CONI’s Head of Territorial Affairs, Cecilia D’Angelo, on stage alongside Andrea Marcon, President of CONI Friuli Venezia Giulia and organiser of the “mini Olympics”, returning to Lignano a decade after the last edition.

“I have the great fortune of knowing how to choose my collaborators, and they were outstanding in ensuring the success of the event. I will carry your smiles with me: you are wonderful, and I am glad you will go home happy after this extraordinary experience” said President Marcon.

Mayor Laura Giorgi added: “We were ready, this was a true team effort – from CONI to local and regional institutions, as well as the volunteers and the entire organisational machine. I know you all worked hard and diligently, making things easier. I hope this is an edition you will carry in your hearts”.

Cecilia D’Angelo also expressed gratitude: “Thank you to everyone, and thank you to Friuli Venezia Giulia for hosting us. Everything was perfect – congratulations to President Marcon and his staff for allowing us to enjoy three fantastic days. I hope some of you will one day climb an Olympic podium, hear the Italian anthem, and watch the tricolour fly. This must be a journey of growth, without forgetting that fun is the essence of sport – it means sharing and reciprocity. Thank you to my colleagues, the volunteers, and all those who contributed to the success of this event”.

The Fair Play Awards, dedicated to the memory of sports administrator Gianni Gallo, were presented by Olympic fencing champion Mara Navarria: “The male award goes to Riccardo Turbino, an archer from Emilia Romagna, who showed great teamwork, stepping in for his teammate by lending her his bow. For the first time, the female award is given not to an individual but to a team – the women’s rugby squad from Tuscany, who embody the spirit of sport by giving their all in any circumstance”. (photo credit: Simone Ferraro & Roberto Di Tondo/CONI)

The Summer Trofeo CONI – which had been officially opened by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio at Stadio Teghil on Sunday evening – closes with an extremely positive balance sheet: record numbers of participants, record viewership for the opening ceremony broadcast on Italia Team TV, and record smiles from the boys and girls who came from across Italy and Italian communities abroad in Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Venezuela. Thanks to the “Tourism of Roots” project supported by the PNRR, these young athletes also had the chance to discover Friuli Venezia Giulia through cultural and territorial visits, reinforcing ties with their origins.

The 2025 edition also stood out as the most sustainable in the event’s history, thanks to measures aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda, in line with the biennial protocol signed between CONI and the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security.

A great celebration of sport and values – faithful to the identity that has defined this multidisciplinary youth festival since 2014. A chance to dream, to enjoy, and to imagine a future under the spell of the Olympic Rings.