For Deputy Minister Vannia Gava, the Youth Olympic Games will be an important international showcase for the region.
Lots of enthusiasm, participation and warmth in Forni di Sopra for the arrival of the flame, an iconic symbol of peace and sporting values. On Saturday 7 January, the town of Carnic, surrounded by the magnificent Friulian Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, organised a beautiful celebration to welcome the delegation of the EYOF2023 organising committee. In the main square, filled with people, the suggestive cauldron lighting ceremony was held, attended by local, regional and national institutions. The journey of the torch featured representatives of the most important sports and ski clubs in the area as torchbearers, accompanied by the ever-present official mascot, the marmot Kugy.
The welcome by EYOF2023 President Maurizio Dunnhofer and Deputy Mayor Lorenzo Antoniutti was also joined by Deputy Minister for Ecological Transition Vannia Gava and Aurelia Bubisutti. For the former MP from Tolmezzo, the Youth Olympic Games are the realisation of a dream she has been pursuing for years and which will come true in a few days. Bubisutti wishes that all the young athletes who take part in the event can realise their dreams and have a unique experience in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
For Deputy Minister Vannia Gava, EYOF2023 is a positive example of how to team up. The region, as well as the national government, support this international sporting event dedicated to young people, with the awareness of the important role they play in the future of our society. Friuli Venezia Giulia is ready to welcome the 2,300 participants of the European Youth Olympic Festival as one united and successful community. An opportunity also to promote the beauty and excellence of this area.
Representing the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Council was Vice-President Stefano Mazzolini, who once again emphasised the importance of hosting such large international sporting events. The EYOF2023 will familiarise thousands of young people and guests with our territory and the entire mountain region, in which the regional government has invested and will continue to invest in order to offer a tourist offer that is at its best all year round and not just seasonally.
Forni di Sopra will host the ski mountaineering competitions, a discipline that will be held for the first time at the Youth Olympic Games in Friuli Venezia Giulia as part of the EYOF2023 FVG.
The EYOF2023 FVG, the multi-sport event for young people aged 14-18, is expected to attract 2,300 participants, including 1,300 athletes taking part in the 109 sports competitions across the 14 disciplines on the programme (21-28 January).
The Torch, a metaphor for Olympic values and a symbol of the ability to bring together, in the name of sport, people from different nations, cultures, languages and traditions, arrived on board the ‘Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia’ lorry in the company of mascot KUGY.