100 DAYS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN GARGANO: AN INCREASINGLY SOLID SYNERGY WITH THE ENTITIES OF THE TERRITORY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ORIENTEERING EVENT
There are just over 100 days before the start of the World Masters Orienteering Championships and the expectation is growing for the event that will bring over 3 thousand orienteers from all over the world to the Gargano from the 8th to the 16th of July.
Great satisfaction for the organizational staff returning from the fundamental test during the 17th edition of the Mediterranean Open Championship: the races, valid for the first and second stages of the FISO Italian Cup in Alberobello and Monopoli on the 19th and 20th of March, allowed all technical areas involved to test the operational procedures for each area. On the occasion it was also held the course for territorial volunteers, coordinated by FISO trainer Pippo Sisto and the WMOC Committee president Michele Barbone.
The arrival path to the appointment was launched by the round table “Orienteering: sport and tourism in Puglia”. Among the interventions, the statement of Domenico Pugliese, CONI trustee for the region: “Great emotion in attending the race in Alberobello. The participation and the high technical content were the greatest victory that will remain in the history of our people for the sporting, social and cultural value transmitted by this engaging discipline. An opportunity to be in contact with international level athletes, reliving the sensation experienced in 2002 with the stage carried out in the charming narrow streets among the Trulli. With the same commitment made in recent decades in the CONI fiduciary, we will be able to actively promote our fairytale with the administrators of the country, authorities, associations and citizens, giving you an appointment at the World Cup”.
After the competitions, two intense days of discussion and updating in Foggia and Vieste with the competent authorities to speak about public order, health and safety of the participants, with the elaboration of specific operational plans, tourism promotion, with the design of the Casa Puglia hospitality area, logistics and transports, with the new test bus in Foresta Umbra together with Ferrovie del Gargano.
Very important were the meetings at the Prefecture of Foggia in the presence of the Head of Cabinet Francesco Paolo D’Alessio and in the headquarter of the provincial CONI Point with the administrators of the Gargano, at the forefront of the organization of the World Cup through the planning of initiatives aimed at maximum enhancement of the territory. The president Sergio Anesi spoke for FISO, the president Michele Barbone, Pino Scarpellino and Nicolino Sciscio for the WMOC Committee, the delegate Roberto Augello for the Province of Foggia together with the CONI delegate Renato Martino, for the Municipality of Vieste the councilor for sport Dario Carlino, for San Nicandro Garganico delegates of the mayor Matteo Vocale, for Apricena the president of the municipal council Martino Specchiulli, for the Foggia ASL dr. Alessandro Villella. President Anesi also announced that the FISO has officially approved the establishment of the Federal Center for Orienteering on the Gargano.
“It was from Puglia – comments Gabriele Viale, WMOC Committee general director – that the path of internationality of Italian orienteering began twenty years ago also in southern Italy, which will be celebrated in July with the World Cup in the Gargano. An event for which we expect the presence of three thousand orienteers and which will move more athletes than the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Mediterranean Games in 1999 in Puglia, not only for the competitions but for a calendar of collateral events between Puglia and Basilicata with The Week After. We will therefore continue, as always, to team up with the administrations and with the territory because only in this way we will achieve all the objectives, thus contributing to the enhancement and tourism promotion of the Apulian heritage. The World Cup belongs to everyone!”
