On Thursday 6 June in Savona, at Palazzo della Sibilla, at Priamar, starting at 5pm, a historic event for Italian football will be held: the presentation by the Panathlon Club Carlo Zanelli of Savona of the Luigi De Manincor Trophy to the first female referee in Serie A. This award, awarded to figures who have marked a significant change in society and customs, aims to celebrate an important milestone in the fight for gender equality in sport. “Nothing is impossible, immovable. Even an apparently secondary moment can mark a change in our habits” reads the motivation for the award. Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, a woman, for now the only one, has in fact dared to challenge conventions and enter a world that has always been a male prerogative: that of Serie A referees. Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, born in 1990, of Apulian origins, who is part of the Livorno of the Italian Referees Association, has broken a centuries-old taboo, demonstrating that with passion, sacrifice and dedication, even the most ambitious dreams can become reality. Her story represents a warning for all girls who wish to assert themselves in traditionally male fields, encouraging them to pursue their goals with tenacity and determination. The first “Female Referee” of Serie A thus becomes a symbol of hope and demonstrates that no dream is unattainable. The award, created by the artisan ceramist Barbara Fresia (BF Ceramiche), takes on an even more special value. In fact, over 30 years ago, Fresia herself was the first female referee to take to the pitch in Liguria and it was she who would hand over the Trophy. Panathlon International is an international movement for the promotion and diffusion of sports culture and ethics, according to the official recognition of the IOC, and aims to deepen, disseminate and defend the values of sport understood as a tool for training and valorization of the person and as a vehicle of solidarity between men and women and peoples. The term “Panathlon”, coming from the Greek language, can be translated with the expression “together of sports disciplines”, while the motto “Ludis lungit” means “united in sport”. The Luigi De Manincor Award, created 40 years ago, has been awarded, over the years, to important sports personalities including Francesco Moser (cycling), Gelindo Bordin (marathon), Stefania Belmondo (cross-country skiing), Mario Pescante (former president of CONI and current member of the IOC). The event, organized by the Panathlon Club Savona, chaired by Enrico Rebagliati, benefits from the patronage of Coni Liguria, municipality of Savona, Province of Savona, Cip, FIGC, Aia, Regional School Office, Lions, New Voices, Fidapa, Zonta, Save you Woman, Savona shooting gallery, Sportsmen’s Sanctuary, Andes and Soroptimist.
