- International Menarini Awards for Fair Play, the champions of Fair Play enchanted the public in Fiesole

The award ceremony, held at the Teatro Romano, was also attended by the Minister of Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi.

FLORENCE, Italy, July 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday afternoon, the grand finale of the XXVII edition of the Menarini International Fair Play Awards was warmly welcomed by more than a thousand spectators at the Teatro Romano in Fiesole. The event, organized by the Menarini Fair Play Foundation and focused on the culture of fair play and respect in sport, closed for the first time in this magnificent setting. The event was headlined by the winners of the 2023 edition, internationally renowned sports legends, examples of a healthy approach to competition, both in sporting events and in life.

World-class names graced the first row of the Fiesole theater. Both the past and present of the event were represented in the stands, with the presence of this year's new honorees and many Menarini Fair Play Ambassadors from previous editions. The message conveyed by the award was also underlined by the presence of the Minister of Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, recipient of the Menarini International Fair Play Award in 2016.

"The Menarini Fair Play Awards have become a hallowed event in the world of sports, a coveted award to aspire to as a sportsman and manager. I still remember how excited I was to receive the award in the "Gesture of Play" category. limpio" in 2016 due to an initiative that he had proposed as president of Lega B football in which, at the end of the match, the referee gave a green card to the players who had shown an exceptional sense of fair play. Respect, Sporting culture and social responsibility are elements that should form a natural part of every individual's life, starting at school Unfortunately, this is not always the case, which is why events such as the Fair Play Awards help to highlight the values ​​of sport to through the positive example for the younger generations of outstanding people who act as their representatives and advocates.Twenty-seven editions mean a lot.The event has become a tradition over time. A tradition that is repeated and improved year after year. It shows the values ​​and experiences, in the name of loyalty and respect for the rules, which constitute the basis of a healthy competition in which overcoming the adversary goes hand in hand with personal growth and the ambition of constant improvement", declared Andrea Abodi, Minister of Sport and Youth.

The final act of the awards ceremony, which will be broadcast tonight starting at 9 p.m. on Sportitalia, welcomed stars from the international sports scene. Starting with football, the iconic Inter Milan captain and vice president, Javier Zanetti, and the coach, Antonio Cabrini, a former Juventus mainstay, presented the Paolo Rossi Special "Role Model" Award, in memory of the glorious victory in the 1982 World Cup, played together with Paolo "Pablito" Rossi. Athletics was represented by long-distance runner Larissa Iapichino, gold medalist at the Gold Gala last June, while the popular Olympic swimmer Massimiliano Rosolino and Paralympic swimmer Giulia Ghiretti represented the best of Italian water sports. Also present on stage were two exceptional winter sports champions, skier Deborah Compagnoni and biathlete Lisa Vittozzi. Not to mention fencing star Elisa Di Francisca, volleyball coach Alessandra Campedelli, coach of the Iran women's team, and NBA basketball star Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa. The "Lioness" of tennis, Francesca Schiavone, and the recently appointed director of Rai Sport, Jacopo Volpi, winner of the special Franco Lauro award "Narrating emotions", completed the list of new inductees into the Fair Play Hall of Fame of Menarini.

"After the experience of the Awards ceremony, we are even more aware of having been part of a truly unique project," said Anna Ravoni, Mayor of Fiesole. "An event like this, which aims to spread the message of the true essence of sport through the stories of the many athletes who are now part of our collective imagination, is an important legacy. Everyone at Fiesole is delighted to have met on the road with the Menarini International Fair Play Awards".

The ceremony, presented by Lorenzo Dallari and Rachele Sangiuliano, also included the return to the stage of the Menarini Fair Play of the musical group Neri per Caso, protagonists of the evening exactly twenty-four years after their previous performance at the awards ceremony. The Papillon swing group opened the evening. Another notable return was that of Federica Pellegrini, the incomparable hero of Italian swimming, awarded with the Fair Play award in 2022, and special guest of the event, who received a warm reception from the public.

"The XXVII edition of the Awards has just finished, but we are already looking to the future", declared Antonello Biscini, Valeria Speroni Cardi and Ennio Troiano, members of the Board of the Menarini Fair Play Foundation. "In the meantime, we would like to especially thank the people of Fiesole and, above all, the new Menarini Fair Play Ambassadors, who are shining examples of humanity and upholding the true values ​​of sport around the world."

Below are the winners and categories of the XXVII Menarini International Fair Play Awards:

- FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE, "Sport and Life" category - JAVIER ZANETTI, "Legendary Figure" category - DEBORAH COMPAGNONI, "Career Fair Play" category - ALESSANDRA CAMPEDELLI, "Social Values ​​of Sport" category - ANTONIO CABRINI, "A Role Model for Youth" Paolo Rossi Special Prize - ELISA DI FRANCISCA, "Sport and Courage" category - GIULIA GHIRETTI, "Sport Beyond Sport" category SUSTENIUM Energy and Heart - LARISSA IAPICHINO, "A Smile for Life" category - MASSIMILIANO ROSOLINO, "Sport Promotion" category " - LUIS ALBERTO SCOLA BALVOA, "Fair Play" category - LISA VITTOZZI, "Fair Play and the Environment" category - JACOPO VOLPI, "Narrating Emotions" category Franco Lauro Special Prize - MARIACLOTILDE ADOSINI, "Young Athletes" category - EMILIA ROSSATTI, "Young Athletes" category - GIORGIO PIETRO TORRISI, "Young Athletes" category - GIANLUCA GENSINI, "Study and Sport" category Fiamme Gialle Special Prize

The following Fair Play Ambassadors also attended:

ANDREA ABODIGIANCARLO ANTOGNONIEDWIN MOSESFEDERICA PELLEGRINIARRIGO SACCHITOMMIE SMITH

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