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NOA Italy celebrates 75 years

16 | 4 | 2023

The Italian National Olympians Association celebrations for its 75th anniversary kicked off at a high profile event at the Italian Senate building in Rome. WOA President Joel Bouzou OLY was one of the many dignitaries who spoke at the event. Other speakers included the President of the Italian Olympic Committee Giovanni Malago, President of the Italian Paralympic Committee Luca Pancalli, NOA President Novella Calligaris OLY and a number of distinguished Italian politicians including Senator Daniela Sbrollini and Deputy Roberto Pella.

WOA President Joel Bouzou OLY congratulated NOA Italy President Novella Calligaris OLY and her team for their tireless work building the Italian Olympians community, supporting them to be active members of the NOA and running projects to support Olympians and their communities. He then presented Novella with her OLY pin and certificate.

The celebrations will continue for the next six months and will consist of three projects, starting this week with a torch relay from Cortina to Milan taking place over 12 stages and going through cities and towns close to the two cities hosting the next Winter Olympic Games, Milano-Cortina 2026.

On September 9th Olympic champion and NOA Italy President Novella Calligaris will commemorate 50 years to the day of her world record breaking 800m freestyle swim in 1973  by swimming across the Strait to Messina in the south of Italy.

And there will be a traveling exhibition of photos sent in by Olympians and the public dedicated to Olympic ethics and culture. The selected photos will be exhibited in iconic buildings and venues across the whole country.

President of the Italian Olympic Committee Giovanni Malago said: ‘NOA Italy is a very great and worthy association, as a symbol and value, of which I am very proud. We are happy to support this association, which is an expression of Italian Olympic identity".

At the events across Italy there will also be OLY Ceremonies for participating Olympians who will receive their OLY pins and certificates from various local and national dignitaries.