FLORENCE, Italy, April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Preparations are already underway for the International Fair Play Menarini Award (IFFA). This year marks the twenty-seventh edition of the event, which pays tribute to athletes who have demonstrated the values of ethics, loyalty and respect in sport and in life, and will host international sports legends at a three-day event in Florence and Fiesole.

Anna Ravoni, Mayor of Fiesole, declared: "Our city is honoured to be able to welcome such a prestigious event as the International Fair Play Menarini Awards. This will be an extraordinary opportunity for us to welcome sports icons who are known for their fair play. We are proud to share with our community a commitment to the highest principles of 'fair play'."

The programme for this year's event will kick off on Monday 3 July with 'Stories of Champions'. The Fair Play Menarini interview programme will bring internationally renowned sporting legends to the stage of Piazza della Signoria in Florence to tell behind-the-scenes anecdotes, reflections and lesser-known true stories about their lives and careers.

Cosimo Guccione, Florentine Councillor for Sport and Youth Policy, emphasised: "I am delighted that such a prestigious event will take place in the Palazzo Vecchio, home to Florentines and a symbol of Florentine history and culture. This event has been successfully held for 26 years and since its first edition, the recognised champions and the role models and positive examples of the younger generation have also become ambassadors of fair play Menarini around the world and bearers of the noblest sporting values of sharing, brotherhood, solidarity and mutual respect. Young people are bombarded with thousands of messages and they need positive role models, and over time this event organised by Menarini has left a shared legacy for us all."

On Tuesday 4 July, a gala dinner will be held in Florence to welcome important figures from the world of sport, who can enjoy the stunning view from Piazza Michelangelo.

On Wednesday 5 July, the enchanting Teatro Fiesole Roma will be the venue for the exciting final part of the Fair Play Menarini Awards, which will be broadcast via the Italian sports channel. 

Antonello Biscini, Valeria Speroni Cardi and Ennio Troiano, members of the Board of Directors of the Fair Play Menarini Foundation, said: "We are grateful to the City of Florence and the City of Fiesole for their continued support and for sharing the values of fair play that we wish to convey, especially to the younger generation, through the example set by the winning champions ."

The 2023 winners will be announced at an exclusive press conference on Monday 19 June at the CONI Hall of Honour in Rome, in the presence of Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee {5}.