Expo per lo Sport and Sport&Fun Village: A Weekend of Success

The event kicked off on Friday, September 25th, with a day dedicated to educational institutions. Over 60 primary and lower secondary schools from Milan and its metropolitan area participated in sports activities and trials, giving students a chance to discover new disciplines and experience sports firsthand. The day also included educational sessions with nutrition experts from Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele and a visit to Centrale Elvezia.

On Saturday, September 26th, and Sunday, September 27th, Discovery Park welcomed children and families. The program featured over 30 sports, including trials, demonstrations, exhibitions, and tournaments. Basketball, volleyball, fencing, skating, cycling, athletics, soccer, American football, sailing, and canoeing were among the sports on offer, alongside numerous opportunities to try them out. The event also included road safety education by the State Police and involved high school students in work-study programs. Students from the Cardano and Labor institutes assisted with event operations, gaining practical experience in event management.

A notable moment occurred on Saturday, September 26th, when actor Adam Sandler joined a basketball game with some young participants in Parco Sempione during a tournament.

Nicola Schena, the organizer of Expo per lo Sport, described the event as "a great celebration of sport that involved many young people and families. The 11th edition marked the return of the dedicated school day, and this success was possible thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Milan, the Lombardy Region, and the Territorial School Office. We saw many sports, from the most popular to disciplines gaining traction in recent years like skating and fencing – an important result and a good sign for the next edition."

Martina Riva, the City of Milan's Assessor for Sport, Tourism, and Youth Policies, highlighted the importance of initiatives like Expo per lo Sport in encouraging young people to be active. "Events like this are fundamental to our vision of Milanese sport, especially after the Olympics and Paralympics," she stated. "Expo per lo Sport is a wonderful opportunity for youngsters to discover their potential sport; they can try over 30 here and then, if they wish, sign up for a course during the year. This event is now a staple of our city's sports calendar and allows people to return to school and return to playing sports."

Federica Picchi, the Lombardy Region's Undersecretary for Sport and Youth, added, "As the Lombardy Region, we are particularly proud of events that increasingly value sport as a tool for training and education for our young people. The numbers from this edition are significant, with over 60 schools on the first day. They show public interest in a diverse offering capable of recognizing different talents. Sport has a universal language and conveys to young people the value of rules, teamwork, sacrifice, and commitment."

The Sport&Fun Experience Village also saw significant success, attracting over 250,000 visitors over two days in the Arco della Pace sports areas. The village hosted Eurosport talents including Francesca Marsaglia (alpine skiing), Paolo Canè and Jacopo Lo Monaco (tennis), and Luca Gregorio, Riccardo Magrini, and Moreno Moser (cycling).

Valentina Marchei, an Olympic figure skater who participated in the Sport&Fun Experience Village, shared her enthusiasm: "Eurosport is like an extended family to me, and 'reuniting in the piazza' at the Arco della Pace was a special emotion. We had fun, together with Expo per lo Sport, promoting the importance of physical activity for our social fabric and the beauty of outdoor sports, transforming Milan into an open-air gym."