Panathlon International

"On 1 June last, Panathlon International was represented at the Brussels-Walloon Parliament in Brussels at the inauguration of the "European Fair play Movement" (EFPM) which from now on will have its headquarters in Brussels, the capital of Europe. I had the honor to represent our President, Pierre Zappelli.

The welcome speech was given by the Vice President of the Walloon-Brussels Parliament, Mr François Bellot. The presence of the Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Tarabella and the President of the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee, Mr. Jean-Michel Saive was much appreciated.

"European Fair play Movement" exists since 1994 and recently Philippe Houssiaux , also a Panathlete, was elected as president of this European entity. 

Sport reflects the way our society works, through its values, its strengths but also its limitations.

The late Pierre de Coubertin, who always preferred an apolitical approach, gave sport the aura of universality.

Today, we must conclude that the line between sport and politics is becoming very thin and is regularly crossed. EFPM and Panathlon International have a lot in common in their promotion of values such as fair-play, respect, inclusion, etc...

The cooperation between Panathlon International and EFPM, as partners, will be more intense for the common goal. We wish EFPM every success in spreading the Fair-Play philosophy. 

Patrick Van Campenhout

And here we are at the first 12 June, after the celebrations of the 70th anniversary Panathlon’s foundation. The echo of that final ceremony, in the garden of Villa Queirolo in Rapallo, still reverberates throughout the panathletic world for the ideal contents it was able to convey and for the call to make every year a celebration worthy of our history.

From the 'Panathlon day' emerges the invitation to organize an event of any magnitude to celebrate the anniversary, beyond any official ceremony.

After all, that “disnar sport” of 12 June 1951, promoted by Mario Viali and a group of sports enthusiasts from Venice, did not have resounding tones but the flavour of an intimate invitation to share values that do not need a loudspeaker to be announced, but only a convinced adhesion.

Today, in a world torn apart by the consequences of an unprecedented pandemic and now tragically involved in a war that belongs to everyone, it might seem anachronistic to speak of friendship and loyalty.

Panathlon must have the strength to be consistent with its message, launched 71 years ago, shortly after the end of World War II, comforted by 70 years of peace in Europe, thanks to the community drive, and now faced with a new test.

Sport stimulates competitiveness, while respecting ethics. Let us not lose sight of this scenario, thinking of young people who need examples and training models.

Panathlon International, present in 4 continents, 27 countries and 263 clubs, remembering its origins must find the strength to overcome even unforeseen obstacles, in order not to interrupt its training path and its history.

Panathlon International is one of the partners of SAMF – Sport Against Match-Fixing (SAMF), a Erasmus+ funded project, which is being coordinated by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and which is further composed of following partners - Sport Evolution Alliance (SEA), FIBA EUROPE, Malta Football Association (MFA), Lithuania Football Federation (LFF) and EUNIK.

SAMF is aiming to raise awareness amongst grassroot athletes of different sports to the dangers resulting from match-fixing and the negative impact that it can cause on their careers. 

SAMF was awarded with a total of €400.000,00 by the European Union and is scheduled to run for two years. The Kick-off meeting was held last week, in Lisbon, on the 19th and 20th of May 2022. 

Panathlon International has been, through its clubs, especially active in the promotion of positive sporting values and ethics, in particular with awareness raising sessions on the combat of all sorts of sports manipulation, i.e. through online and physical held seminars and workshops, as well as previous participations in other projects/Erasmus+ funded projects related to the combat of match-fixing.

On Monday 23 the first meeting of “Planet Olympia: the values of sport told by the athletes”, the periodic summit organized by Panathlon Junior of Rome to promote ethics and sports culture among young people, took place at the CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) Lazio’s headquarter.  

The event, moderated by the president of the Club Lorenzo D'Ilario, was attended by Francesca Milani (judo Olympian at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo), Enrica Rinaldi (wrestling bronze medalist at the 2022 European Championships in Budapest) and Mattia Miceli (judo gold medalist at the 2020 U23 European Championships in Porec). 

The institutional greetings were brought by the president of CONI Lazio Riccardo Viola, the youngest councillor of the Capitoline Assembly and member of the Sports Commission of Rome, Giorgio Trabucco, and the authorities of the military sports groups involved (Golden Flames, Carabinieri Sports Centre and Blue Flames). 

The initiative was also an opportunity to celebrate 120-year anniversary of the Italian Judo Wrestling Karate and Martial Arts Federation (Fijlkam), whose disciplines spread important values such as respect, passion, sacrifice, rigor, fair play and desire to never give up, in the presence of the lawyer Cristina Varano, Federal Prosecutor of Fijlkam, as well as Walter Borghino, president of Panathlon Club Roma, Cesare Sagrestani, governor of Panathlon Lazio, and Giampiero Cantarini, past president of Panathlon Club Roma.

Club Roma.      

In the early afternoon the President's Committee was welcomed to the Town Hall of Brescia by the city councillor delegate for sports and panathlete Fabrizio Benzoni, who explained how much the administration cares about sports culture and about the synergy established with the Panathlon Club of Brescia, the second club founded after Venice. He then took the guests on a tour of the Town Hall (Palazzo della Loggia), the Hall of Magistrates and told the reason why the lioness has become the symbol of the city. 

Afterwards, the work of the President's Committee began at the Vittoria Hotel. They reviewed, among other things, the implementation of the Conference of Rondine on Fair Play, the final organizational details of the Lausanne General Assembly, and upcoming institutional appointments. The talks also touched on the decision, not yet formalized, of GAISF's dissolution and the cooperation with other Recognized Associations. 

Afterwards, the Committee attended the convivial meeting of the Club of Brescia held at Villa Carpina where, in an atmosphere of friendship and sympathy, next to the greetings of the authorities and getting to know each other, the participants were able to witness the exciting story of Stefano Miglietti and Giulia Scovoli and their feat in crossing 400km in five days in a portion of the Moroccan desert. An even more touching adventure as she was pulled by athlete Stefano Miglietti in a special wheelchair. It was an incredible experience that enriched everyone present and showed how dreams, if pursued with determination, can turn into reality.

The President's Committee thanked all members of the Club for the kind welcome, its president Rodolfo Garofalo with special thanks to Franco Vollono who strongly wanted the Committee's presence as early as 2019 , later suspended due to the pandemic.

The next meeting of the President's Committee will be held in Brescia next Monday, 23 May at the Hotel Vittoria. The Club will welcome participants to its convivial meeting and organise a meeting with the city's Mayor Emilio Del Bono. 

Among the items on the agenda 

- General Secretariat activity update

- Credentials Committee 

- Lausanne Assembly 11 June 2022  

- Commission for Culture, Science and Education CSEC 

On Sunday 15th May at Rondine - Cittadella della Pace (AR) - (https://rondine.org/)   took place the "Starting Conference" to launch the new project of Panathlon International on Fair Play.

In a unique setting, in an environment of peaceful coexistence among young students coming from all over the World and in particular from Countries in Conflict, the President and Founder of Rondine, Prof. Franco Vaccari welcomed the more than 60 persons present at the Conference: "your presence reinforces the value of this place and its message, a way to unite us among those who share the positive values that we feel more and more urgent for everyday life".

International President Pierre Zappelli then opened the proceedings and after greeting the guests and those present, he continued: "We could not have chosen a better place for the theme we have chosen. The PI asked what can be done to develop this awareness; we cannot change adults, but we can help young people today so that they can become honest citizens of tomorrow. It is therefore necessary to train young and very young people: in schools. This project was conceived by our Vice President Orietta Maggi who thought of starting in Tuscany so that it could be a starting point to field test this project and export it worldwide”. 

The Vice President Orietta Maggi described how the idea of this project was born, the President of CIFP Jeno Kamuti thanked for the invitation and explained how the Committee cooperates with PI and the joint project that will be realised on the occasion of the next Olympic Games in Paris, the President of the Italian Fair Play Committee Prof. Ruggero Alcanterini, representing EFPM underlined the importance of Fair Play not only in sport but also in life and society and reminded that the Italian Fair Play Committee was born from Panathlon International. The greetings then continued with the intervention of the CONI Provincial Delegate of Arezzo Alberto Melis who believed in this project. Finally, the President of the Club Arezzo Mario Fruganti brought the greetings of the Club which had hosted the participants to the Congress during the Convivial meeting the day before.

Then came the very high-level reports that enchanted the audience for more than two hours: Prof. Ario Federici - Full Professor at the Master Degree Course in Sport Sciences and Primary Education Sciences at the University of Urbino, and Prof. Matteo Lazzizzera, Past-president of the Panathlon Club Trento, Teacher of Motor Sciences, Physical Trainer, Vice President Cip Trento. Their work, once finalised, will be available to the Clubs. 

It was then the turn of the testimonies by the President of the Panathlon Club of Orvieto Prof. Lucia Custodi and the Fair Play Referent of the Club of Siena Prof. Marco Collini who presented their excellent works and projects carried out with the schools of their territories, of all levels. 

At the end of the conference, President Pierre Zappelli said he was very satisfied with the reports and the day and urged everyone to implement this project: "today is a starting point to realise this project, which we want with all our strength".

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In an evening marked by friendship and the most authentic panathletic spirit, held in the magnificent location of the Club de Regatas "Lima", the President of Panathlon Club Roma Walter Borghino and the President of Panathlon Club Lima Luis Lastarria have signed a protocol of understanding aimed at establishing channels of cooperation and developing common initiatives and exchanges of experiences, for the diffusion of the principles of Fair Play and of the authentic values that the two clubs support and promote with their activity.

Luis Moreno Gonzales, member of the International Board, was also present.

An initiative that strengthens the relationships between the two clubs and demonstrates how Panathlon unites different identities and cultures through sport. 

 On 15th May 2022 at 9.30 a.m. Panathlon International organizes in Rondine - Cittadella della Pace (AR) the Conference "Fair Play restarts from school" with the aim to collaborate with the scholastic institutions to promote and spread Fair Play in sport behaviour and in life.

The speakers, Prof. Ario Federici, Professor of Motor Sciences at the University of Urbino and Prof. Matteo Lazzizzera, Past-president of the Club Trento, Professor of Motor Sciences and Physical Trainer, will introduce us to this interesting topic and present their experiences. Some international authorities and representatives of Panathlon Club are expected to attend the event. 

The day before the Club of Arezzo will organize a Convivial Meeting to welcome the participants to the event.

Those who will not be able to be present can connect in streaming and listen to the ita/ing translation at the following address 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87202704847?pwd=VTA0VkhxdTBJcWxsS2djbGgxQUluZz09 

Passcode: 943156  

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