SAN MARINO – Sports federations are protesting the exclusion from SportInFiera of the second and third middle schools and do so with a public letter: “The sports federations listed below intend to express profound disappointment regarding the decision to exclude the second and third classes of the San Marino middle school from participation in SportInFiera 2026.
The choice, made known through the press release and shared newspaper articles, is based on reasons that we believe are of little relevance compared to the educational, social and training importance that sport should have for young people in contemporary society and for our territory.
In a historical moment in which the need to promote a healthy lifestyle, to combat sedentary lifestyle and isolation, to promote mental and physical well-being, to provide positive stimuli, to fight violence, to give value to respect for others and to prevent the abandonment of sports practice in the younger generations is underlined on a daily basis, the exclusion of such a delicate age group from an event aimed mainly at them is not easily acceptable.
It is known, in fact, that the phenomenon of sports drop-out is significantly concentrated in the adolescent age group, between 13 and 15 years old, so more opportunities, initiatives and experiences capable of keeping girls and boys close to sport should be made accessible, rather than reducing opportunities for participation.
SportInFiera is not just a day out of the classroom or a moment of simple leisure, it is a unique opportunity that allows girls and boys to discover different disciplines, to meet the sporting realities of the area, to experiment with new activities, to measure themselves in a different context, to get involved and find new motivation to continue or start practicing sport, with all the resulting benefits for their future.
Finally, we underline that not all students already practice competitive or amateur sports and an experience of this type could represent a fundamental and unrepeatable opportunity for some of them.
We therefore hope that the College will be able to re-examine the decision and consider the possibility of also allowing second and third year classes to participate in the SportInFiera event, identifying, if necessary, organizational solutions that can reconcile the needs of the school with the value of the initiative.
Schools, Sports Federations and Institutions must work in the same direction, so that a precise message is conveyed to boys and girls: sport is for everyone and no one should feel excluded”, conclude the Federations of Underwater Activities, Martial Arts, Rugby, Skeet Shooting, Billiards, Athletics, Swimming, Bowls, Taekwondo, Golf, Motorcycling, Archery, Horse Racing, Basketball, Cycling, Hunting Judo, Special Sports, Chess, Weights, Sport Fishing, Bowling.
