The wait is over, let’s start the assaults. In Milan it is the eve of the Absolute World Fencing Championships, scheduled from 22 to 30 July at the Allianz MiCo in Milan.
The press conference to present the event was held in the evocative Sala Alessi of Palazzo Marino in Milan in the presence of Martina Riva, Councilor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies of the Municipality of Milan, Lara Magoni, Undersecretary of the Lombardy Region Sport and Youth Presidency, Claudia Colla, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Milan, Emmanuel Katsiadakis, FIE Interim President, Marco Fichera, President of the Milan 2023 Organizing Committee, Paolo Azzi, President of the Italian Fencing Federation with the presence by Federico Vismara, Italian epee runner, individual European vice-champion.
Milan is ready to welcome thousands of enthusiasts and over 2,000 people, including athletes and staff members, from 116 countries for a major international event valid for qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Great expectations obviously for Italian fencing after the record-breaking European Championships a few weeks ago between Plovdiv and Krakow, where six out of six Italian teams won a medal. After the 2011 edition in Catania, great international fencing returns to Italy and, for the first time, will be hosted in Milan, a city rich in tradition, innovation and culture.
For the occasion, the press room of the arena will be named after the historic fencing champion Edoardo Mangiarotti. The Fencing World Championships will not only be a competition but also a great celebration for everyone with the Arco della Pace which will become the Medal Plaza: a unique space created in collaboration with CONI which will bring Casa Italia to a completely exceptional location. From 25 July it will be open to the public, with free admission.
A particular recognition will be reserved for the master class: the prizes for the technicians of the winning athletes will be dedicated to the memory of masters who have made the history of Italian and international fencing such as Di Rosa, Di Ciolo, Perone, Zub, Kulkzar and Putyatin. Special acknowledgments to the memory of the masters Lodetti and Volpini. Great media coverage, with over 160 accredited Italian and foreign journalists.
Rai and Sky Italia have been assigned the rights on the various television and radio platforms for Rai for the domestic market, which will guarantee complete coverage of the important world event.
Martina Riva, Councilor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies of the Municipality of Milan: “After a long wait, tomorrow the show of the World Fencing Championships Milan 2023 will finally begin: a double show that will be staged on the platforms of the Allianz Mi.Co. – thanks to the athletes who will compete also thinking about the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifications – and will continue at the Medal Plaza, at the Arco della Pace, for the award ceremonies and the many opportunities to meet and initiatives organized at Casa Italia. Our city, which boasts an important tradition in this discipline, is honored to have been chosen to host the world championship. We thank the Organizing Committee and the Italian Fencing Federation for the trust placed in us and for having involved us in the process of building the event. For Milan, the Fencing World Championships represent a fundamental stage in the approach to the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and a further opportunity to consolidate the reputation of our city as the capital of international sport, confirming the competence organized va and hospitality”.
Lara Magoni, Undersecretary for Sport and Youth of the Lombardy Region: “Lombardy and Milan are now the world stage for great fencing. The Region is proud to host and to have contributed to the organization of an event of this magnitude, which reaffirms the commitment and the ethical, cultural, economic and educational value of sport. These championships will bring Lombardy to be visible all over the world, the best way to promote the excellence and beauties of our region. A great event that represents a very important driving force for young people, allowing them to get to know, appreciate and get even closer to such a winning and historic sport for Italy”. “In recent months I had the pleasure of taking part in the wonderful School Project, promoted by Federscherma and organized by the Milan 2023 Fencing World Organizing Committee. A project that brought fencing and its values to various schools in Lombardy, reaching around 5,000 boys and girls. Here – concluded Undersecretary Lara Magoni – I am sure that many of these young people will be in the stands and at home, like me, cheering on all the Italian athletes, perhaps dreaming of one day be in their place”.
Claudia Colla, Head of the European Commission Representation in Milan: “Fencing is a laboratory of skills and values that the European Commission supports in the context of the European Year of Skills, as a driving force for personal growth and for living together. We are present at the Fencing World Championships in Milan to reaffirm our closeness to the territory, which is preparing to become the capital of a major international event valid for qualifying for the Olympic Games, and to promote the European vision of sport: inclusive, which unites different generations and peoples, sustainable, aimed at social innovation and good environmental practices”.
Emmanuel Katsiadakis, President of International Fencing Federations: “On behalf of the FIE I am happy to have you here in Milan. This event is very important in our calendar, also because it will be the last one before the Paris Olympics. I thank everyone, from the Italian Federation to the Organizing Committee, from the volunteers to the referees: their work has made and will make the World Cup possible”.
Marco Fichera, President of the Milan 2023 Organizing Committee: “Finally here we are. It will be a fascinating and important World Cup, because qualification for the Paris Olympics is up for grabs. It is no coincidence that the final award ceremony will take place at the Arco della Pace, which resembles the Arc de Triomphe. The event will involve all of Milan, which will benefit from the arrival of over 2,000 athletes from 117 countries and thousands of enthusiasts in economic and social terms. We want it to be a great celebration of sport and inclusion and we want the whole city to experience it, with a great promotional activity for the event. It will also be a great opportunity to share the social values of fencing and, during the competition, there will be demonstration events to allow many small children to take up the sword or foil. We have created several legacy projects to reach different targets, from children to university students, in order to leave a positive and tangible mark over time. With the University Project we have involved six universities of excellence throughout Italy: we have talked about values, future and professions with thousands of students, bringing the testimony of athletes and experts in the sector”.
Paolo Azzi, President of the Italian Fencing Federation:: “The World Cup in Italy is an extraordinary opportunity for visibility for our sport, to show its charm, its champions, but also the great social meanings and values that fencing represents and transmits. With Milan, then, a historical gap is filled, bringing the greatest international event to a city with a great fencing tradition. From a competitive point of view, obviously, we play a lot on the Olympic Qualifying front and we count on the support of the public who are certainly ready to give a big hand to our athletes, who deserve everyone’s warmth and support. We are returning from record-breaking European Championships, they will be our starting point to confirm Italian fencing at the top, competitive in all specialties both individually and in teams, where we play an important part of the passes for Paris 2024″. Federico Vismara, Italian epee fencer, individual European vice-champion “It’s an honor to be in Milan for the World Cup for me and for all my teammates. A great motivation for all of us in front of our home crowd. We have enthusiasm and will to win”
2023-07-22 06:31:00
#FIE #Fencing #World #Championships #Milan
