World Street Skateboarding at the Colosseum: “Rome will be the Wimbledon of the table”

Colle Oppio park, a stone’s throw from the Colosseum, is full of kids. We hear several languages ​​spoken, in common the passion for skateboarding. And here the little boy who ventures his first tricks under the Music Bridge can meet Momiji Nishiya, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist on the youngest podium in the history of the Games. All thanks to World Street Skateboarding, stage of the world tour (which Rome will host every year until 2025) but also the first qualifying competition for Paris, running from 26 June to 3 July thanks to the collaboration between the International World Skate Federation, Sport and Health and the Italian Roller Sports Federation. The event will see over 250 athletes from all over the world compete, including our Asia Lanzi, the only Italian representative at the Tokyo Games.

Towards Paris

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“We are leaving for this long ride towards the Paris Olympics – commented the president of Coni Giovanni Malagò -. It is nice that we start in Rome for this discipline that offers audience, appeal and memberships. The future is yours”. And the Undersecretary for Sport Valentina Vezzali: “Street skateboarding, which is part of urban sports, is one of the fastest growing sports disciplines among young people, with an extraordinary social and sporting value for the country. The event will have a positive impact. on employment, on urban decorum with the restoration of green areas and on tourism. Among other things, it will be very social since it involves the next generation. These playgrounds are also useful for bringing many inactive young people closer to a discipline and physical activity ” .

Even in schools

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Vito Cozzoli, president and CEO of Sport and Health, underlined: “Nobody expected that the World Skate Championships could be such a winning bet when we hosted them at the Foro Italico in full pandemic last year. Today we are happy to experience them here with the background of the Colosseum. Sport must give more and more attention to young and very young people and skateboarding succeeds very well, it is a driving tool for sports practice, so much so that from next year we will also bring it to schools. cultural program that will combine urban sport and art “. And the dg Diego Nepi: “The World Skate Championships, organized in the heart of Rome, are the metaphor of the commitment of Sport and Health because they represent a sport that has grown in the streets, squares and parks of large cities – right there where we work to renew the landscape of the country’s sporting practice – until it becomes an Olympic sport. And then the skaters are perfect testimonials for inclusion and socialization “.

Like Wimbledon

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Enthusiastic Sabatino Aracu, president of the Italian and international roller sports federations: “Today is a historic day, Rome is the Wimbledon of skateboarding, it is leaving a fantastic trace, giving way to the youngest and coolest sport. The eternal city embraces the young people and the best thing is that the event will be repeated year by year, becoming an international classic “.

A company

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The guys with the skate under their arms are enchanted by the beauty of the location, but organizing the event here was not easy. “It’s a bit crazy to imagine it here – commented Alessandro Onorato, Councilor for Sport of the Municipality of Rome – but whoever really wants to change things must take the risk. This city has unique potential, but which many think it is not possible to express it. event is one of the most important postcards of Rome “. And Roberto Tavani, councilor for sport of the Lazio Region: “Finally the institutions travel together and go to the places of the children. We are at their side to make everyone understand the value of sport as an instrument for relaunching the country”.