Catania hosts the fifth edition of the World Company Sport Games, a mini Olympics, organized by Csain (Industrial Corporate Sports Centers) Italy and Sicily. The numbers demonstrate the importance of the event: 3783 athletes are expected (official figure after Afghanistan’s defection) from 30 nations from 4 different continents.
The presentation
On the morning of Tuesday 18 June, the press conference to present the event took place in Room E7 of the Ciminiere, led by Nunzio Currentiwho first gave the floor to the mayor of the Municipality of Catania and the Metropolitan City, Enrico Trantino: “The event has extraordinary tourist-cultural potential. The presence of so many nations in a difficult historical moment was not easy and we are proud of this. We will give an attractive image that allows us to be the center of attention and allows us to be a leader in sports infrastructure. We create, also by urging our citizens, all the conditions to guarantee peaceful hospitality. This is one of the various favorable opportunities that it would be crazy not to exploit to transform Catania into a city that makes culture, as well as tourism, its founding reason. The Skin concert will be a further cadeau to overcome provinciality and project ourselves into an international dimension.”
The National President Csain could not be missing Luigi Fortunaoriginally from Catania and the first supporter of the city’s candidacy to host the event: “Catania’s candidacy for the World Cup is a bet born six years ago which left doubts about the city’s ability to offer structures and accommodation for the event and instead we had a great response and the result is a unique site, which has everything to host the event, you just need to coordinate. The institutions have been splendid, so I would like to thank the Mayor first. I thank the whole team that was formed for the occasion, Spinella and all the organizers. Giacomo Crosa then gave us the incentive to aim high. The collaboration on this occasion between a promotional body, Coni Catania e Sicilia and Sport e Salute, will be a winning one. There have been defections for state reasons and internal unrest which have caused the calendars to change but flexibility must belong to everyone and we will overcome the organizational difficulties caused by these defections. The weather is also favourable, everything will go well.”
Also the world vice president of the WFCS (World Federation for Company Sport), Umberto Ilardo he showed optimism despite the last-minute defections (Iran, Afghanistan and part of the Chinese contingent): “We have kept the match schedules flexible and we will overcome the problems by sending a message of absolute synergy between people. There is great anticipation for the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday evening, which will include a performance by the singer Skin. It will be a moment of internationality in the Catania artistic context. For the rest, let’s think about having fun in a healthy way, putting physical and social well-being first.”
Singer Skinsleader of Skunk Anansie, is the main guest of the opening ceremony of the games which will be held this evening (Wednesday 19 June) in Piazza Università in Catania which includes the parade of competing nations and also performances of “La Sonnambula” by Vincenzo Bellini and “La Traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi.
He also spoke to present the event at the conference Except Spinelladeputy national vice-president of Csain, who wanted to underline the enthusiasm of the people of Catania for the event and the prompt response of the many local businesses called to give their contribution to this great sports festival.
Enzo FalzoneThe vice president of Coni Sicilia expressed himself as follows: “The first rip-off – laughs – it was when my friends from Csain asked me for a hand, I couldn’t say no and then I happily got involved. I thank the mayor and councilor Parisi, the managers of the facilities who have made themselves available in the organization and our sports managers and all those who have worked to make the organizational machine work so that Catania can make a good impression and consequently also the Csain. We will start and close the races with our pearls, swimming and athletics, so we will experience great emotion. Today we also proudly present the symbols of the World Championship, with the elephant engraved on the podium medals and the elephant mascot and the symbol of Sicily, a small Sicilian puppet. It will be a wonderful adventure”.
He also intervened Musa Lami, secretary of the WFCS who had words of gratitude towards the Catania institutions and its member Csain. Present were the mayor of Mascalucia, Enzo Magra; the Sports councilor of the municipality of Sant’Agata Li Battiati, Tino Cannavò, and his colleague from the municipality of Maletto, Carmelo Melardi. Salvatore Fiore, general director of Fce, spoke about sustainable mobility and transport for an event with a large participation.
Bind
The competitions will therefore begin on Thursday 20th, with 31 disciplines in 40 different facilities in Catania and neighboring municipalities (Maletto, Enna, Acireale, Gravina, Sant’Agata Li Battiati, Siracusa, Linguaglossa, Mascalucia and San Giovanni La Punta). There are various open-air “locations”, some of which are decidedly suggestive and have a great impact.
Among the peculiarities, the historic Pergusa racetrack will host the cycling races. The mountain bike will instead be raced in Maletto, inside the Natural Park. Il Picciolo di Castiglione will be the splendid location for golf; to compete on the suggestive green Etna is also the honorary president of Csain, a former high climber Giacomo Crosaas announced by himself at the press conference, in a speech full of enthusiasm and grateful affection towards Catania, in which he urged the participants to have fun: “competing is the most fun, have fun!”. The orienteering, however, will take place in the splendid Ragabo pine forest (Linguaglossa) in the middle of the woods and in Syracuse, in the enchanting Ortigia starting from Piazza Minerva.
