Panathlon International continues its strong commitment to the Erasmus+ project "MindFit VR: Immersive Sports for Mental Well-being", a project funded by the European Union and aimed at promoting the mental well-being of young people in sport.
The project is coordinated by the Budapest Association for International Sport (BAIS) (Hungary), in collaboration with Deneyimsel Eğitim Merkezi Derneği (DeM) (Turkey) and Panathlon International, reflecting a strong framework of international cooperation.
On 13 February 2026, an important online focus group was held, bringing together Panathletes and sports stakeholders from various European countries. The meeting, moderated by Fabio Figueiras, was a valuable opportunity to gather experiences and reflections on the challenges young athletes face today, including pressure to perform, social and family expectations, and the increasingly significant impact of social media. Simona Callo, Secretary General, spoke at the meeting, and Monica Rossi participated on behalf of the General Secretariat, confirming the institutional attention and support for the project.
The difficulty of balancing sport, school and private life also emerged strongly, elements that make greater emotional support essential. In this context, MindFit VR is an innovative tool that can complement the central role of coaches and families through immersive technologies that help young people develop emotional awareness, resilience and self-confidence. The aim is to create a simple, accessible and multilingual toolkit that can be integrated into everyday sporting life.
This collaboration is also an important sign of Panathlon International's ability to operate in international networks, actively participating in European projects alongside a wide range of different sports organisations. This commitment strengthens the Association's role as an authoritative partner in international programmes and as a promoter of shared best practices.
Heartfelt thanks to the protagonists who contributed to the success of the focus group:
• Barbara Rossi (Panathlon Club of Pesaro, IT)
• Juliane Robra (Panathlon Club of Geneva, CH)
• Teresa Rocha (Panathlon Club of Lisbon, PT)
• Otto Frühbauer (Panathlon Club of Kärnten, AT)
• Lore Vanden Berghe (Panathlon Belgium, BE)
Their contribution represents a significant step towards a more people-oriented sport, strengthening the educational role of sport and supporting the mental wellbeing of the younger generation.
#PanathlonInternational #ErasmusPlus #MindFitVR #Sport #MentalWellbeing #YoungPeople #Panathlon #DigitalWellbeing #MentalHealthInSport
Milan, 12 February 2026 – The Joint International Symposium on ‘Olympic Values and Artificial Intelligence’ opened this morning at Palazzo Lombardia, scheduled to run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event brings together experts and representatives from institutions, academia and the world of sport to explore the relationship between sport, ethics and technological innovation.
The debate will focus on the role of artificial intelligence in the future of sport, including new opportunities, regulatory challenges and the protection of Olympic values. The symposium aims to provide an opportunity for international discussion in view of the transformations that will affect the sector in the coming years.
Attilio Fontana - President of the Lombardy Region
Federica Picchi - Undersecretary for Sport, Lombardy Region
Sunil Sabharwal - President of the International Fair Play Committee CIFP
Pierre Zappelli - Past President of Panathlon International
Alejandro Merino - Madrid - Head of AI Technology and Information Department (IOC)
Giuseppe Deleonardis - Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at the International Olympic Committee
Hilla Davidov, Professional in sports education and Olympic values programmes
Stephan Wassong - President of Coubertin CIPC
Gary Rhodes - Professor at the College of Education at California State University
Emanuele Frontoni - Professor in Computer Science, University of Macerata, and Co-Director of the VRAI Lab
Bianca Gama Pena - Project Manager and Researcher at the State University of Rio de Janeiro
Pierre Zappelli - Former President of Panathlon International
Christian Wacker, President of ISOH
Sabine Haller-Neumann, IOC
Representatives of the four international organisations ISOH, CIPC, CIFP and PI
On the occasion of the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Panathlon International is pleased to present, on the official opening day of the Games, a video that uses powerful images to interpret Olympic values as a universal language of inclusion, respect and passion for sport.
This contribution comes from the heart of the Panathletic movement, in the hope that it will serve as an evocative backdrop to certain competitions, ideally accompanying athletes and the public during the most intense and emotional moments of the events.
We therefore invite you to ensure the widest possible dissemination of this video, so that its message can reach and engage the entire community.
We extend our sincere thanks to the president of the Panathlon Club Perugia, Luca Ginetto, for his valuable support.
#MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics #Paralympics
Milan hosts the first international symposium on ‘Olympic Values and Artificial Intelligence’
Milan, 12 February 2026 – From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Palazzo Lombardia will host the joint international symposium ‘Olympic Values and Artificial Intelligence’, a high-level event dedicated to dialogue between sport, ethics and technological innovation.
Promoted by ISOH, CIPC, CIFP and Panathlon International, the symposium will explore the role of artificial intelligence in research, education, innovation and ethical governance, with a focus on the implications for the Olympic Movement and the training of new generations. The event will take place in person and will be broadcast online to encourage international participation.
Three thematic panels will address the following topics:
1. Education in Olympic values and AI – with experts such as Hilla Davidov and Stephan Wassong
2. Ethical and responsible AI – with Emanuele Frontoni, Bianca Gama Pena and Pierre Zappelli; moderated by Izabella de Bessenyey.
3. Preserving and disseminating Olympic heritage through AI – with Sabine Haller-Neumann and Christian Wacker.
The event will be moderated by Gary Rhodes (California State University, Dominguez Hills) and will feature the participation of representatives from the IOC.
The Milan symposium represents the natural evolution of a process that began during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, when the four organisations decided to collaborate to strengthen Olympic values, support education, promote peace and preserve the historical memory of the Olympic Movement.
The press conference will take place at 5 p.m. in the Biagi Room, Core 4, with accreditation available on site.
Complete programme and organisational information
#MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics #Paralympics
The joint symposium ‘Olympic Values & Artificial Intelligence’, organised by ISOH, CIPC, CIFP and Panathlon International, will be held on 12 February 2026, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, at Palazzo Lombardia in Milan.
The meeting will explore the growing role of artificial intelligence in research, education, ethics and innovation, with a particular focus on the implications for the present and future of the Olympic Movement.
The Symposium will take place in person, with online streaming to allow remote participation.
The first day of the kick-off meeting held in Rome was a great success, officially launching the Erasmus+ You Lead project. All the international partners were present at the meeting, gathering to share the first steps of the project and plan future activities.
The PI was represented by International President Giorgio Chinellato, Fabio Figueiras, member of the CCRC, Simona Callo, Secretary General, Lorenzo D'Ilario, President of Club Roma Junior, and Monica Rossi, General Secretariat.
The partners were also greeted by the Governor of the Area Lazio, Cesare Sagrestani, who brought his message of welcome and support for the project.
The You Lead project was created to address one of the main challenges facing the European sports system: promoting greater participation by young people and women in decision-making and governance processes.
In an atmosphere of collaboration and enthusiasm, the various work packages to be developed over the next 30 months, at the end of which the project will come to a close, were analysed.
A positive start that lays solid foundations for a shared and high-impact work programme at European level.
The first day of the kick-off meeting, held in Rome, was a great success, officially launching the Erasmus+ You Lead project. All the international partners were present at the meeting, gathering to share the first steps of the project and plan future activities.
The PI was represented by International President Giorgio Chinellato, Fabio Figueiras, member of the CCRC, Simona Callo, Secretary General, Lorenzo D'Ilario, President of Club Roma Junior, and Monica Rossi, General Secretariat.
The partners were also greeted by the Governor of the Lazio Area, Cesare Sagrestani, who brought his message of welcome and support for the project.
The You Lead project was created to address one of the main challenges facing the European sports system: promoting greater participation by young people and women in decision-making and governance processes.
In an atmosphere of collaboration and enthusiasm, the various work packages to be developed over the next 30 months, at the end of which the project will come to a close, were analyzed.
This positive start lays a solid foundation for a shared and highly impactful work path at the European level.
Panathlon International, represented by Fábio Figueiras and Barbara Rossi, took part in the Kick-Off Meeting of the Erasmus+ project MindFit VR, held on 9 January 2026 in Budapest.
The meeting marked the start of a European partnership focused on strengthening mental well-being, emotional resilience, and inclusion in sport through innovative Virtual Reality (VR) tools.
During the meeting, Panathlon International highlighted its strong commitment to ethics, youth education, and mental health in sport, and actively contributed to discussions on how VR can complement traditional sport activities in addressing isolation, stress, and psychological
challenges among young people.
The project now enters its needs assessment phase, which includes a questionnaire addressed to youth workers, coaches, and young people. The results will directly shape the development of practical VR-based tools and activities to be implemented across Europe.
Your contribution matters: please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire via the link below and help shape the future of mental well-being in sport.
The Webinar Series promoted by the Culture, Research and Education Commission (CCRE) continues, dedicated to exploring best educational practices related to fair play.
The next event, dedicated to the presentation of the book entitled ‘Environmental Intelligence’ published by member Lamartine Da Costa of the Panathlon Club Rio de Janeiro, will be held on Monday 19 January 2026 at 6 p.m. CET.
ZOOM platform http://bit.ly/webinarseries-pi
Panathlon International was represented in Brussels at the Erasmus+ Sport Info Day, a key European event bringing together policymakers, institutions, and sport organisations to discuss the future of sport in Europe and the priorities of the Erasmus+ Sport programme. Panathlon International was represented by Fábio Figueiras, responsible for Erasmus+ projects and member of the CCSE of Panathlon International.
The event opened with a high-level round table moderated by Sophie Beernaerst (EACEA) and featuring European Commissioner Glenn Micallef, responsible for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, alongside representatives of the European Parliament and national sport authorities. Discussions highlighted sport as a public good and a powerful tool for inclusion, health prevention, education and social cohesion, with grassroots sport identified as the foundation of the European Sport Model.
A key message was the strong demand for Erasmus+ Sport funding: only 13–14% of applications are currently supported, despite the high quality of projects submitted. This underlines both the competitiveness of the programme and the importance of well-structured, values-based initiatives.
During the event, Panathlon International also had the opportunity to exchange directly with Commissioner Glenn Micallef, presenting the organisation’s mission and ongoing work in ethics, integrity, education and sport values. The Commissioner was informed that he will receive a formal invitation to attend Panathlon International’s Congress in 2026.
The Info Day also marked the first public presentation of the preliminary results of the EU consultation on the European Sport Model, reaffirming principles such as sporting merit, solidarity between elite and grassroots sport, good governance, volunteering and community engagement.
Alongside the institutional sessions, Panathlon International strengthened its international network through meetings with sport federations, NGOs, innovation hubs and academic institutions from across Europe, further reinforcing its role as a trusted partner in European sport projects.
Panathlon International remains fully committed to contributing to a values-based, inclusive and ethical sport ecosystem in Europe, in line with the objectives of Erasmus+ and the European Sport Model.
