On the initiative of the Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara, the Minister of Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests Francesco Lollobrigida, the Minister of the Environment and energy security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and the Minister for Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli, starting next year the "Youth Games" will return to schools throughout Italy, the "Student Olympics" born in 1969 from an idea of the sports manager and lawyer Giulio Onesti. The Ministers have sanctioned with an ad hoc protocol the rebirth of a competition born 54 years ago, which has undergone two interruptions over the years: one in 1996 and a second from 2017 to today.
“The Youth Games”, Minister Valditara explained, “are a real institution and are a full part of the Italian scholastic tradition. Combining the world of education with that of sport in the best possible way, this competition conveys fundamental values in the life and training of a young person: commitment, dedication, teamwork, respect for the opponent. In synergy with the other Ministers, we have thought of a new version of the Games which includes, among others, the themes of school, sport, healthy eating, respect for the environment and the value of inclusion".
"The Youth Games will be a formidable socializing opportunity", declared the Minister for Sport and Youth Abodi, "for sporting confrontation between middle school boys and girls from all over Italy, but it will also be an opportunity to disseminate and share a series of contents useful for life, to give a civic contribution to students: education, nutrition, health, the environment, disability, equal opportunities, the culture of places and in places. All this takes on a further value especially now that we are about to achieve a fundamental objective with the inclusion of Sport in the Constitution, which I am sure will inspire the action of the Government and Parliament to strengthen the presence of active sport in the national community starting from people and from the most socially disadvantaged places".
“Sport”, highlighted the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci, “is essential for the achievement and maintenance of a state of health and psychophysical well-being. The reintroduction of the Youth Games, in the new version that sees us involved, is an important initiative that we support with conviction. Not only will they be an opportunity for socializing and health promotion but they will help spread the culture of prevention among young people through healthy lifestyles of which both physical activity and healthy eating are an integral part".
“Thanks to this Memorandum of Understanding” declared the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, “the Meloni Government is once again promoting sport as an integral part of the school curriculum through the Youth Games. A synergistic choice that recognizes motor education as a fundamental value for the expression of youthful personality and that underlines the importance of a balanced diet, crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Also for this reason, Masaf will continue to work to protect the Italian agri-food chain, which is a guarantee of excellent raw materials and to promote the Mediterranean diet, which together with sport constitutes an essential element for health and physical well-being ".
"It is necessary", said the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, "to use the universal language of sport that unites peoples, cultures and genders as an indispensable flywheel to raise awareness among school-age children on issues related to sustainable development , in particular on equitable and sustainable well-being, in line with the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development”.
“It is a sporting event that I wanted to share right away”, underlined Minister Locatelli, “fundamental for the growth of every child and every young person. The Youth Games promote sport, inclusion, relationships and the ability to compete with others in a healthy and conscious way. It is an event aimed at the well-being of students, which will involve everyone in the beautiful sports activities and will offer opportunities for the development of everyone's responsibility, their self-esteem and different skills".