The Secretary General of the European Olympic Committees and former Secretary General of CONI, Raffaele Pagnozzi, received the ANOC Merit Award this morning in Cascais. This prestigious accolade, established in 1983, honours officials who have made outstanding contributions to ANOC’s activities.

It was the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, together with ANOC President Robin Mitchell, who presented the award to Pagnozzi (photo ANOC), while the following citation was read: “As Secretary General of the European Olympic Committees, he has demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership in his role over the past 18 years, significantly contributing to the advancement of the Olympic Movement in Europe. Through his tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to the values of Olympism, the EOC has achieved significant milestones, strengthening unity and collaboration among Europe’s NOCs.”

Representing CONI at the Assembly in Cascais are President Giovanni Malagò and Secretary General Carlo Mornati. This evening, at the Gala Dinner, awards will be presented to the best athletes and teams in the world for 2024. The Italian delegation awaits the results with great anticipation, as the Italian women’s volleyball team, victorious at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is among the nominees for the prestigious trophy. The event will be broadcast live on tv.italiateam.sport from 8 p.m. (Italian time).

Tomorrow morning, on the second day of proceedings, Malagò will deliver a report on the progress of the organisation of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.