The Embassy of Italy in Algiers celebrated the Italian Sport Day Around the World with an evening dedicated to the values of sport, inclusion and solidarity, in the presence of the Algerian Minister of Sports, Walid Sadi, which accompanied Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb to Taranto at the opening of the XX edition of the Mediterranean Games, which took place from 21 August to 3 September.
The evening was also attended by the leaders of the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee, a large representation of the Italian community and the diplomatic corps, a delegation of young Algerian athletes who have already won prestigious international awards and some players of the “Club Sportif Amateur des Handicapés Moteurs”.
With the aim of celebrating not only the values of sport and the extraordinary success of the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, but also the bilateral friendship between Italy and Algeria, Ambassador Alessandra Schiavo paid tribute to over twenty young Algerians who have won medals in Puglia: 6 gold medallists, 6 silver medallists and 8 bronze medallists.
The exceptional results achieved in Taranto by Italian athletes – 74 gold medals, 78 silver medals and 72 bronze medals – were celebrated with a series of images of their performances projected onto a large screen.
The figure of Alex Zanardi was also remembered, as a testimony to the other theme chosen by the Embassy of Italy in Algiers for the organisation of the 2026 Italian Sport Day: that of solidarity and inclusion.
“Sport – especially in a region marked by conflicts such as the Mediterranean – is an essential means of promoting a culture of interaction with others, based on respect and never on force. In the name of friendship with the country that hosts us, our Embassy wanted to give recognition to the Algerian athletes who distinguished themselves in Taranto, by celebrating their victories together with ours”, said Ambassador Alessandra Schiavo. And again: “The motto of the Mediterranean Games in Taranto was ‘Embrace the Future’, but no future of peace would be possible without inclusion. The example and legacy of Zanardi, champion in motor racing and later in para-cycling, inspires us with hope, determination and resilience, and the ability to turn trauma and hardship into new challenges and achievements”.
