FLORENCE, April 13, 2023 – Preparations are already underway for the International Fair Play Menarini Awards ceremony. The event, which honors athletes who exemplify values such as ethics, loyalty, and respect both in sport and in life, is now in its 27th edition and will welcome international sporting legends to Florence and Fiesole during the three-day event.

“It is an honor for our community to host such a prestigious event as the International Fair Play Menarini Awards,” said Anna Ravoni, Mayor of Fiesole. “It will be an extraordinary opportunity to welcome icons of sport who have distinguished themselves through their fair play. We are proud to share our commitment to the highest principles of fair play with our community.”

On Monday, July 3, the program for this edition will open with “Stories of Champions.”  The Fair Play Menarini talk show will bring internationally renowned sports legends to the stage in Florence's Piazza della Signoria to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, reflections, and lesser-known facts about their lives and careers.

“I am particularly pleased that such an important event is taking place in Palazzo Vecchio, the home of the Florentines and a symbol of the history and culture of the city of Florence,” emphasized Cosimo Guccione, Florence's Councilor for Sports and Youth Policy. "This initiative has been successful for 26 years, and since its first edition, the award-winning champions have not only been role models and positive examples for younger generations, but also ambassadors of Fair Play Menarini around the world and bearers of the noblest values of sport, such as sharing, humanity, solidarity, and mutual respect. Young people are bombarded with thousands of messages; they need positive examples, and this event organized by Menarini has created a shared legacy for all of us over time."

On Tuesday, July 4, a gala dinner will be held in Florence, where the big names in sport will be welcomed and will be able to enjoy the magnificent view from Piazzale Michelangelo.

On Wednesday, July 5, the enchanting Roman theater of Fiesole will be the setting for the grand finale of the Fair Play Menarini Awards, from where the award ceremony will be broadcast on Sportitalia.

“We would like to thank the city of Florence and the municipality of Fiesole for their continued support and for sharing the values of fair play, which we want to convey above all to the younger generations, through the examples set by the award-winning champions,” said Antonello Biscini, Valeria Speroni Cardi, and Ennio Troiano, members of the board of directors of the Fair Play Menarini Foundation.

The names of the 2023 award winners will be announced on Monday, June 19, during a press conference at the CONI Hall of Honor in Rome, in the presence of the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee, Giovanni Malagò.

For further information, please visit www.premiofairplay.com