Major sporting events and Italian excellence at the heart of sports diplomacy

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, and the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, will inaugurate the second "Italian Sport Day in the World" tomorrow at Villa Madama. The President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio, the President of the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), Marco Giunio De Sanctis, and the President of ITA, Matteo Zoppas, will also participate.

This year's edition will be dedicated to the theme "Mountain and Sea Sports" in view of the major international sporting events scheduled in Italy for 2026: the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina and the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. In order to make the coordination of our country's system even more effective in view of these sporting events, a new Memorandum of Understanding will also be signed between the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Sport, CONI and CIP to promote Italy abroad, bringing together the diplomatic-consular network and that of CONI delegates. The establishment of the Sport Day, the Permanent Table on Sports Diplomacy, and the Memorandum of Understanding with the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Sport, CONI and CIP are all steps that strengthen a system dedicated to promoting and enhancing athletes, businesses and institutions in a unified strategy.

"The lesson of sport is clear: you can only win by working as a team. Italy is a great team that grows, competes and engages with the world just as it does in sport. That is the reason why, since the beginning of my term of office, I have specifically sought to strengthen the role of sports diplomacy, an integral part of the growth strategy that I want to increasingly embed in the DNA of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The major events we cover are also exceptional opportunities from all perspectives, whether economic, social or cultural," Minister Tajani said, while pointing out that sport generates €24.7 billion in added value in Italy, employing over 400,000 people and accounting for 1.38% of GDP. Exports of sports goods, worth 4.7 billion, place us among the top five exporters worldwide and second in Europe. The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are a unique opportunity: 5.3 billion in economic impact; an estimated 3 billion in infrastructure legacy; a widespread Olympic event that will enhance different territories and be at the centre of an international promotion campaign. The Taranto Games will strengthen Italy's role as a sporting and cultural hub at the centre of the Mediterranean.

Tomorrow's event will bring together the entire sport world and will be attended by great champions and business leaders in the sector. The torches of the Milan-Cortina Games and a fibreglass reproduction of the Mediterranean Games mascot will be on display in the hall . Following on from the previous edition, the Minister will also appoint new "Ambassadors of Sports Diplomacy", Italian champions from various disciplines who will showcase our excellence around the world by joining the more than 300 events that have already been organised worldwide to this end by our network of embassies and consulates.