The 30th October 2021 will remain a day to remember, Villa Queirolo (Rapallo) - seat of Panathlon International - has welcomed more than 120 panathletes who met to commemorate the 70 years of life of our Movement.
The day could take place outside the Headquarters, and many have been the exciting and significant moments.
Secretary General Simona Callo welcomed and greeted the civil and panathletic authorities and introduced, in Italian and English, the various speeches with a brief history of the PI headquarters.
Afterwards, the Mayor of Rapallo Carlo Bagnasco intervened and underlined the very good relations that exist between the Administration, the city of Rapallo and Panathlon International; the President of CONI Liguria Region, Antonio Micillo, former Governor of Area Liguria of Panathlon has brought the attention on the importance of the values and the Charters of Panathlon International; Don Paolo Zanandreis - Diocesan Director for sport, has brought the greetings of the Bishop and has remembered the importance of the roots and the importance of sport as vehicle of values and goodness.
Then the Past President Enrico Prandi intervened and recalled the reference persons with whom he worked during his mandate and who were also inspirers for the history of our Movement: Jean Presset, Henrique Nicolini and Antonio Spallino. He then mentioned some non-Italian board members who worked with him: Otto Bellwald (CH) and Walter Perez Soto (U) who died in a panathletic mission.
Finally, he urged us to follow the recommendation of the PI Congress held in Stresa in 2010, which is still topical: the importance of educating young people and the ethical responsibility of sports associations, at national and international level.
It was then the moment of Giacomo Santini, current Past President, who pointed out how, among the Presidents of PI, there has always been a sort of "relay" and continuity that for 70 years has allowed to present Panathlon International to the highest international assemblies.
He also brought the greetings of Vittorio Adorni who, for an indisposition, could not participate. After a short "excursus" on the drafting of the "Charter of Parental Duties in Sport " he recalled how much each President puts his own working and human experience in the role he covers, but there is always something to learn! Panathlon is really a school of life. The speeches ended with the intervention of the current President Pierre Zappelli who wanted to bring the attention on the present and the future of our International Movement, noting that Panathlon International owes a lot to the Italian Clubs, without which it would not have developed, but it has immediately had a vocation to expand outside Italy, bringing it to have the recognition by the IOC in 1982. He went on to say that all the Presidents have contributed to the internationalisation of PI and to opening it up to other countries and cultures. Today, there are many relationships with international organisations and associations. PI is present in many nations both in Europe and Latin America, but it is important to work also with the Representations of Lausanne and Brussels to develop its activity expanding it in other countries. This is a task on which our governing bodies and clubs are working. Panathlon must be more and more a Movement without frontiers.
It has been then presented and discovered the work "branch of Pomegranate" by Luca Tamanini representing his father Settimo Tamanini who realized it. Those present then moved to the front of the Villa where Don Paolo gave his blessing to the pomegranate tree that had been planted, together with a plaque commemorating the event.
Panathletes have then toasted all together, to their friendship, union and prosperity, that the pomegranate represents, wishing a long life to Panathlon International!