Italy of sport shines in Mexico

(ANSA) - CITTÀ DEL MESSICO, 26 SET - In the presence of some classes from the Unam high school in the capital of the country, the Italian Embassy in Mexico presented yesterday at the Italian Institute of Culture (IIC) a rich programme of conferences and talks on some important aspects of Italian sport. The event took place as part of the international day dedicated to the excellence of Bel Paese in this sector, promoted worldwide by the Farnesina.
    'This is a new initiative,' said Ambassador Alessandro Modiano, 'launched because sport is part of people's lives and, therefore, an important additional element for the promotion of our international relations.
    "Italy, despite being a relatively small country in terms of population, is a sporting power in the world, has recently achieved exceptional performances in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will be the organiser of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. Government investments in this sector are traditionally very important, and our nation has over the years become an important developer and exporter of tools and technologies related to these activities,' the diplomat added.
    The programme of the event - coordinated by Valentina Valente, head of the Embassy's economic-commercial office - was developed with the participation of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico (Ccim).
    After the introduction by Gianni Vinciguerra, director of the IIC, the speeches opened with a session - moderated by the Embassy's scientific attaché, Roberto Marani - dedicated to Italy's contributions in the field of scientific and technological research related to sport. The speeches were given by Professor Tiziana D'Orazio of the CNR and Professor Christian Micheloni of the University of Udine.
    Francesco Careri, deputy director of Ccim, then interviewed cycling champions Giuseppe and Alessandra Grassi on the challenges and sacrifices involved in the careers of professional athletes.
    The event concluded with the participation of Edoardo Papini - commercial director of Mexico Business Publishing - who offered those present a dissertation on entrepreneurship in the world of sport.