FLORENCE, Italy, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 28th
edition of the Fair Play Menarini International Award is about
to kick off. Preparations are under way in the cities of
Florence and Fiesole to host the
numerous champions who will light up the 2024 edition, focused on
the true values of sport. An event that this year promises to be
packed with even more sports stories and legends, all linked by the
common theme of ethics, loyalty, and respect.
The traditional gala dinner will officially open the
two-day event, slated to be held this evening in Piazzale
Michelangelo, one of Florence's
most breathtaking venues. The key moment will be tomorrow, on
Thursday, July 4 at 8:30 pm, when the winners will take centre
stage in the awards ceremony, in the timeless setting of
Fiesole's Roman Theatre.
Once again this year, prestigious figures who have shown that
they embody the spirit of "fair play" over the course of their
careers, have responded to the Fair Play invitation. Marco
Belinelli, the first and only Italian to win the NBA will be
representing basketball, while Gian
Paolo Montali, former head coach of the Men's National
volleyball team, twice European Cup winners, will be representing
volleyball. Space will also be given to winter sports with
Francesca Lollobrigida, European gold medallist in speed
skating. Field athletics will see the participation of
Ambra Sabatini, flag bearer
for the Italian contingent at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and sprinter,
Roberto Rigali, world silver
medallist in the 4x100m relay. Motorsport can count on the iconic
figure of Cesare Fiorio,
while Clemente Russo,
heavyweight amateur boxing champion of the world and Olympic
vice-champion, will be honoured for boxing. Fair Play for
journalism will go to Federico
Buffa, fervent narrator of extraordinary sporting
figures and their exploits.
World-famous stars, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o, two of the greatest all-time
African players, will be representing the football world and will
be joined by a number of Italian players: Fabio Cannavaro, Ballon d'Or and captain of
the 2006 winning World Cup team, Alessandro Costacurta, runner up in the 1994
World Cup with Sacchi's Italian team, Ciro Ferrara, star of the "1990 Italian
line-up" and runner up in the 2000 European Cup, plus former 1982
World Cup winner, Giuseppe
Dossena. The award winning line-up is completed by the
former Italian head coach, Cesare Prandelli, European Cup
runner up with the Italian side in 2012.
The awards ceremony will be hosted by Rachele
Sangiuliano and Omar Schillaci, together with the "Divina"
Federica
Pellegrini, guest star at the Award. The Fair
Play Menarini Ambassadors, winners of previous editions and
guests of the final evening, include outstanding foil champion,
Elisa Di Francisca, iconic
player of the Fiorentina football team, Giancarlo Antognoni and Giusy Versace, first double-amputee runner
for Italy.
A recording of the event, organised in partnership with Sky
TG24, will be broadcast on Sportitalia.
"We are both thrilled and proud to usher in the 2024 edition
of the Fair Play Menarini International Award" – say
Antonello Biscini, Valeria Speroni
Cardi and Ennio Troiano,
Members of the Board of the Fair Play Menarini Foundation –
"This year we will witness a gathering of an unprecedented
number of champions. A parade of stars, united by the fundamental
element that lies behind the Award, namely fair play, in sport and
in life".
Here is the list of the winners of the 28th Fair Play
Menarini International Award:
DIDIER DROGBA
SAMUEL ETO'O
MARCO BELINELLI
FEDERICO BUFFA
FABIO CANNAVARO
ALESSANDRO COSTACURTA
GIUSEPPE DOSSENA
CIRO FERRARA
CESARE FIORIO
FRANCESCA LOLLOBRIGIDA
GIAN PAOLO MONTALI
CESARE PRANDELLI
ROBERTO RIGALI
CLEMENTE RUSSO
AMBRA SABATINI
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