Milan, November 8, 2023 – In a visually and emotionally immersive experience of Olympic Boxing, in the striking Auditorium of the Allianz Tower, the Milanese headquarters of the insurance-financial Group, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Italian Boxing Federation (FPI), in collaboration and with the valuable support of Allianz, this morning presented the first World Olympic Boxing Qualification Tournament, Road to Paris 2024. A prestigious event assigned by the IOC to the CONI which designated the FPI as the organizing committee.

For the first time in Italy, an international event of this scale will take place in Busto Arsizio (Varese), under the supervision of the Paris Boxing Unit (IOC) and with the strong support of the Minister for Sport and Youth – Department for Sport, the patronage of the Lombardy Region, and the endorsement from the Municipality of Busto Arsizio, Federalberghi Varese, and the Chamber of Commerce.

The Tournament will take place from March 4th to 11th, 2024, at the E-Work Arena in Busto Arsizio and will allocate a total of 49 Olympic passes (21 for women and 28 for men) across 13 Weight categories (7 male – 6 female), with approximately 500 athletes participating from around the world.

The inaugural bell of the journey towards the sporting competition, called “Boxing Experience Busto Arsizio 2024”, focused on socio-cultural initiatives, including the spin-off of the FPI project “Boxing to Learn”, engaging schools in the area around the ring, was enthusiastically rung today by the authorities present, starting with the President of the CONI, Giovanni Malagò: “The acquisition of this World Tournament was the result of a great team effort between all the parties involved, Federation, CONI, and Government, engaging in a very tight dialogue with the IOC. We are well aware of the peculiarities concerning the world of boxing within the five-ring program, and therefore the credit for what we can define as a ‘case history’ is all to be recognized by the President of the Federation. I thank the CONI team, represented here, including Anna Riccardi from Olympic Preparation. Ultimately, I feel compelled to say that Boxing will never be removed from the Olympics, as it is a historic sport.”

A great honor, therefore, but also a great responsibility for Italian Boxing, as emphasized by the President of the FPI, Flavio D’Ambrosi: “This Tournament will give international exposure to the Italian boxing movement, something we needed. It attests to the excellent work done by the FPI together with CONI, following the extraordinary results achieved in this quadrennium: 117 podiums in European and World Championships, both absolute and category. Our goal is to maintain and consolidate these achievements, bringing as many athletes as possible to the Paris Games. Italian boxing has returned to being a great family, and I sincerely thank all the local institutions, the Department for Sport, CONI, Allianz, and of course the LOC, the Federal Council, the FPI Team, and the Ambassadors.”

The closeness and contribution of the Government represented by the Head of the Department for Sport, Flavio Siniscalchi, were fundamental: “My thanks are first and foremost related to the importance of the goal we have achieved. I can say that Minister Abodi immediately seized the opportunity, firmly and enthusiastically supporting the Federation, which has managed the situation optimally. President Malagò correctly said that the winning element of this operation was teamwork, where we as the Government were only the last element. The hope is that this is not the only event that Italian Sport can organize, considering the great impact it generates on our territory.”

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Commitment and passion have immediately found a synergistic and valuable response in Allianz, Main Sponsor of the Tournament, with visibility of the Allianz brand on the competition field and on all online communication tools of the international tournament in Busto Arsizio. Allianz, for one year, will support the FPI with a particular focus on the youth sector and will specifically support federal Social Responsibility actions aimed at combating bullying, cyberbullying, and youth deviance, as well as those supporting inclusion and disability, in line with the initiatives implemented by the Allianz UMANA MENTE Foundation.

Maurizio Devescovi, General Manager of Allianz S.p.A. commented: “We are pleased to support our brand in the noble art by starting a partnership with the Italian Boxing Federation. As always in our sponsorships, we have considered the initiatives promoted by the FPI across a wide spectrum, both sports and cultural and social, particularly oriented towards young people, to bring the ethics of the ring into society and schools, inspired by shared values such as loyalty, honesty, and fair play, to counteract all forms of bullying, gender violence, marginalization, and discrimination.”

Under the agreement, Allianz becomes a Gold Sponsor of the Italian Boxing Federation, with a series of opportunities and benefits, such as the presence of the Allianz logo on the official and promotional materials online and offline of the Federation, top presence on the field during Championships, Tournaments, Dual Matches, Conventions, and Workshops, customization on the ring of promotional materials, presence on the competition field, and access to Boxing Experiences, with the possibility of conducting coaching or team-building activities within the company or at Federal Centers with Ambassadors and FPI Teachers.

The FPI Team will be coordinated by the Director of the Local Organizing Committee, LOC Busto Arsizio 2024, and President of the Lombardy Regional Committee Massimo Bugada, who, together with the Vice Director and Federal Councilor Carlotta Rigatti Luchini, illustrated the program and strategy that will ensure the required quality and organizational standards.

Applause came from institutional partners, represented by the Undersecretary of the Lombardy Region with Delegation for Sport and Youth Lara Magoni, the Mayor of Busto Arsizio Emanuele Antonelli, the President of the Chamber of Commerce Varese Mauro Vitiello, the President of Federalberghi Varese Frederick Venturi, and the President of the Master Boxe of Busto Arsizio Livio Grandis.

An important reference point for the Tournament will be the Honorary Committee, composed of the FPI Federal Council (today represented by the Vice President Vicar FPI Fabrizio Baldantoni and Federal Councilors Mariangela Verna, Sergio Rosa, Roberta Bonatti, Marco Consolati, and Salvatore Cherchi, and distinguished authorities), and the FPI Ambassador Committee, examples of sport and life like the four Azzurri Athletes who have already obtained the Olympic pass at the European Games in Krakow: Giordana Sorrentino 51 kg, Irma Testa 57 Kg, Salvatore Cavallaro 80 Kg, and Abbes Mouhiidine 92 kg. Along with them, Champions and Ambassadors of boxing also participated in the event: Alessandro Duran, Clemente Russo, Francesco Damiani, Giacobbe Fragomeni, Maurizio Stecca, and Patrizio Oliva.

The World Tournament will, therefore, have a positive impact on the economy and communities of the involved territories and potential benefits, also following a dedicated environmental sustainability plan, with specific reference to the development goals of the areas involved, from Busto Arsizio, Milan, Cardano al Campo, and Malpensa.

After Busto Arsizio, the last chance for qualification will be the second World Tournament, which will allocate between 20 and 23 passes to women (based on the passes to be reserved for France) and between 25 and 28 to men (also in this case based on the passes yet to be reserved for the host country) and will take place in Bangkok in May.