by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interviews: Mario Anzil, Deputy Governor and Councilor for Culture and Sports, National Director of Special Olympics Italia, Alessandra Palazzotti
More than 3,000 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities are set to compete in 21 sports at the 41st National Special Olympics Summer Games, scheduled from 19 to 24 May in Lignano Sabbiadoro. The opening ceremony is set for 20 May at Stadio Guido Teghil, making the Friuli Venezia Giulia seaside town the main host of the national inclusive sports event.
The Games will be preceded by the Torch Run, a relay linked to Special Olympics that brings the event into schools, institutions, and local communities before competition begins. Organisers said the relay aims to raise awareness of opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Mario Anzil, Deputy Governor of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Regional Councillor for Culture and Sport, said the region was proud to support the Games. He described the event as both a sporting competition and a cultural message centred on inclusion, shared participation, and cooperation between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto municipalities, including Lignano Sabbiadoro, Bibione, and Portogruaro.
Alessandra Palazzotti, National Director of Special Olympics Italia, said the Games would bring “lots of joy” as more than 3,000 athletes compete in 21 sports and demonstrate their “abilities and capabilities.” She said athletes were happy to come together for the event.
The presentation was also attended by representatives of sporting institutions and local authorities who expressed support for the Games, including Marco Giunio De Sanctis, President of the Italian Paralympic Committee; Paola Roma, Councillor for Social Services for Regione Veneto; and Laura Giorgi, Mayor of Lignano Sabbiadoro.
The next official milestone is the opening ceremony on 20 May at Stadio Guido Teghil in Lignano Sabbiadoro.
