ROME, NOV 11 – One in 20 makes it: but they lose. The magical world of sport overturns popular mottos and gives, as well as dreams of glory to its members, rock-solid certainties to those who manage it as federal president: with the re-election of Carlo Beninati at badminton, the statistics of (lack of) turnover at the top of sports federations takes on paradoxical numbers. They photograph a fact, there are no more armored institutions: out of twenty elections for the new Olympic four-year period held so far, in fact, the outgoing president has won 16 times, on two occasions he was not a candidate and one federation (handball) was police station. Confirmed, among others, with almost Bulgarian votes were Paolo Barelli for swimming and Angelo Binaghi for tennis (Stefano Mei also easily took the second mandate at Fidal). In essence, only Andrea Duodo at rugby surprisingly beat the previous president, Marzio Innocenti, (who also attempted an appeal, which was however withdrawn). “We immediately perceived – the new president explains to Ansa – a strong desire for change which gave us great impetus at the Assembly. We focused on teamwork, not on the figure of a single man in command, placing the our program skills, transparency, willingness to share with the base who must be involved and involved in the Federation’s activities. The vision we have proposed to Italian rugby for the medium-long term is based on a project – adds one in 20. who instead manages to win – not about people.” From Wednesday, however, there will be a repeat: the water skiing meeting is scheduled, with the outgoing president, Claudio Ponzani, the only candidate. Next Saturday in Pieve di Cento (Bologna) the president of the baseball federation will be elected: and here at least the race is unanimous. Challenging the outgoing no.1, Andrea Marcon, are former player Marco Sforza, and then Maurizio Condipodero and Marco Mazzieri. On November 23rd two federations go to the polls: table tennis must choose between the incumbent president Renato Di Napoli and the two challengers Patrizio Deniso and Marco Rech Daldosso. The era of Vincenzo Iaconianni ends in powerboating: two new candidate faces, Giampaolo Montavoci and Giorgio Viscione. The outgoing president, however, is running on the list for the federal council, an interesting strategy of someone who, having to go beyond the qualified majority of two thirds because he has completed seven mandates, is running for councilor (perhaps then aiming for the vice presidency). Rowing is a challenge between champions: on November 24th in Pisa the outgoing n.1, Giuseppe Abbagnale, will face another Olympian, Davide Tizzano for the presidency of the Federation for the four-year period 2025-2028. In December it’s basketball’s turn, where the former Coni no.1 Gianni Petrucci is running again, challenged by the lawyer Guido Valori. On 14 December, in the assembly scheduled for the Coni Hall of Honour, Shooting is preparing to confirm one of the longest-serving presidents, Luciano Rossi, in office since 1993 and also head of the international federation from 2022. At the moment he is the only candidate, but until Thursday in theory there is time to come forward. On 21 December in Ostia there will be the election of the president of the judo-fight-karate federation: the outgoing Domenico Falcone will not stand for re-election. In the three-man squad with Gianni Morsiani and Giuseppe Matera there is the Olympian Ezio Gamba, Putin’s personal teacher who after 15 years in Russia has returned to Italy aiming to lead the federation. However, the date of the elections for post-Franco Chimenti golf is still to be defined: after the death of the historic No. 1 of Italian green, the commissioner’s management is in the hands of the general secretary of CONI Carlo Mornati. While waiting for the knots to be resolved and the date for the re-election of the top management in the Football Federation, grappling with the tug-of-war with Serie A, the political chessboard of sport is being completed with the election of the CONI president in the background expected in May 2025. But that is another game, which is played with other rules: at the moment, Giovanni Malagò is not eligible for re-election because he has reached 3 mandates. (HANDLE).
