The Undersecretary of Defense Gioacchino Alfano to whom the minister Pinotti gave the delegation to the sport, draws the sums at the end of the sports competitions of the Brazilian Olympics.
"Italy with 28 medals ranked ninth in the world ahead of many large countries such as Australia, Brazil, Spain and we have shown that we can still improve, as we are doing year by year. At CONI in 2016 they were allocated 405 million euros to manage a capillary network of sports federations scattered throughout the national territory, about 3,5 million went to the armed forces.
The most reflective data are the results achieved by military athletes who took home 23 of the 28 medals, which shows that the system of military sports groups guarantees better results. Therefore, in the face of an excellent overall result in Rio, why not sit around a table and make more integration and synergy? Surely military athletes have the peace of mind of being able to train always: it is their main job, and it is not a little compared to those who must also think about training, this is what happens for athletes without stars.
At this point it is necessary to make a radical and shared choice of integrating more the military and civil organizational systems and deciding if we really want to raise the level of our international ambitions. Our country, as demonstrated yesterday at the Ventotene summit, is at the center of the relaunch of Europeanism and cannot fail to dedicate resources and attention to what Olympic sport brings, as a first-rate showcase in the world.
Thinking not to nominate Rome to host the Olympics seems to me to be a countertrend to what the country is able to express in the world. The Olympics is a new Expo where the whole country is showcased, it is an opportunity, a train to take and not to let go. I'm sure - adds Undersecretary Alfano - that the excellent results of Rio will convince everyone, even the most reticent. It would be an unforgivable mistake to exploit the Olympics for demagogic purposes.
Returning to the military world, I would also like to mention the Paralympic Defense Sports Group, another excellence that not everyone knows and that has made the country appear well in all competitions. Why the need for a Paralympic Sports Group?
Because also thanks to sport the psycho-physical recovery of our soldiers is favored who, operating at home or outside national borders, have contracted injuries or disabling and permanent diseases in the fulfillment of their duty.
Sport is a precious opportunity to continue to lead an active lifestyle and to promote integration and a spirit of body.
This project has made a decisive contribution towards a new lease of life and a more complete social rehabilitation for our men and women with the stars who continue to serve the State in this way, after all they have it in their DNA ".
