PRESS RELEASE
Seventy-five years after its foundation, Panathlon returns, in spirit, to its roots to celebrate, right here in Venice, one of the most significant anniversaries in its history.
It was in fact in Venice, in 1951, that the first Panathlon Club was founded, giving rise to a Movement destined to spread throughout Italy and the world and to promote, through sport, the principles of ethics, fair play, inclusion, respect for the individual and social responsibility.
On Saturday 19 September, in the prestigious setting of the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista, the Panathlon Club Venezia – the Movement’s founding club – will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its foundation and of Panathlon International with a day that will bring together representatives from the Panathlon world, dignitaries, leading figures from the worlds of sport and culture, and guests from Italy and abroad.
The highlight of the celebrations will be the presentation of the “Flambeau d’Or – in memory of Antonio Spallino”, Panathlon International’s highest honour, to two leading figures in world sport: Francesca Porcellato and Bashir Abdi.
The day will begin at 10.00 am with a conference dedicated to the role of sport in contemporary society.
The keynote speakers will be Professor Andrea Rinaldo, winner of the 2023 Stockholm Water Prize, an internationally renowned scientist and, in his youth, a top-level rugby player who even represented the national team, and Professor Mattia Losi, recipient of the ‘Maestro del Lavoro’ award, former columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore and lecturer at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Their Lectio Magistralis will address the themes of ethics, sporting culture and social responsibility.
The talks will be chaired by Roberto Papetti, Editorial Director of Il Gazzettino.
This will be followed by the Flambeau d’Or ceremony, an award given to individuals who, through their personal and sporting journeys, have made an exemplary contribution to promoting the values of sport, going beyond mere competitive results.
Francesca Porcellato, a true icon of Italian Paralympic sport, has excelled in three disciplines – athletics, Nordic skiing and cycling – building an extraordinary career at the highest international level. She has competed in twelve editions of the Paralympic Games, right up to Paris 2024, securing numerous successes and medals over the years and becoming one of the most iconic figures in Italian Paralympic sport.
Bashir Abdi, a Belgian long-distance runner of Somali origin, is one of the leading figures on the international marathon circuit. His honours include the Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020, the silver at Paris 2024 and the World Championships bronze at Eugene 2022.
Alongside his competitive career, he is deeply committed to social causes through Sportaround, the charity he founded to promote the inclusion and development of young people through sport.
Two profoundly different stories, united by their ability to demonstrate how sport can become a tool for growth, inclusion, determination and responsibility towards others: values that underpin Panathlon International’s decision to award them the Flambeau d’Or.
The award ceremony will be hosted by Luca Ginetto, Editor-in-Chief of TGR Umbria, President of the Panathlon Club Perugia and former President of the Panathlon Club Venezia.
The 75th anniversary will therefore not only be an opportunity to look back on a history that began in Venice in 1951, but also to look to the future of the Movement, renewing its commitment to the younger generations and reaffirming a vision of sport capable of combining excellence, education, inclusion and respect for the individual.
Venice, the city where it all began, once again becomes the symbolic setting in which Panathlon celebrates its history and renews the values that have inspired its work for seventy-five years.