On 1 October, the Consulate General of Italy in Miami, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, celebrated the second edition of the “Italian Sports Day in the World”. The event featured two outstanding Italian champions admired by sports enthusiasts worldwide: Danilo Gallinari, basketball star with an illustrious career in leading NBA teams, and Alex Giorgetti, Olympic medallist in water polo.
The large audience enjoyed listening to the two athletes share their experiences and perspectives on sport, life and dedication, while reflecting together on the transformative power of sport—in particular, on how a professional sporting career in today’s world can exemplify and promote values such as merit, inclusion, discipline and integrity.
The discussion ranged across numerous themes, from the personal challenges of achieving excellence in their disciplines to the continuos physical and mental effort required to improve—what Danilo Gallinari aptly described as “the constant commitment to bringing out the best version of oneself”.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to highlight Italy’s significant contribution to global sport. Both Gallinari and Giorgetti underlined that the Italian spirit guiding them—despite the distance from their homeland—has been a key element in their success. The reference to the “Italian style”, leaving an indelible and much-admired mark even in the world of sport, resonated particularly strongly with the audience. Once again, the occasion served to demonstrate how sport forms an integral part of Italy’s success abroad, alongside art, literature, design, scientific and technological research, and entrepreneurship.
During the evening, the audience’s attention was also drawn to the major sporting events that will place Italy at the centre of the international stage in 2026, including the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games—featuring a video produced by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Farnesina) was shown—and the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. These landmark events will also provide an opportunity to showcase Italy’s regions and its unparalleled environmental and landscape heritage.
Quoting the words of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani: “The lesson of sport is clear: one only wins as a team. Italy is a great team that grows, competes and engages with the world, just as it does in sport. […] The major events we highlight also represent exceptional opportunities from every perspective—economic, social and cultural”. Sport in Italy generates EUR 24.7 billion in added value, employs over 400,000 people, and contributes 1.38% to the national GDP. With EUR 4.7 billion in exports of sporting goods, Italy ranks among the world’s top five exporters and second in Europe.
