ROMA (ITALPRESS) – “Sport, innovation and sustainability. The model of collaboration between Sapienza and FITri”. This is the title of today’s meeting at Hall 5 of the Faculty of Economics of Sapienza University of Rome, an event that marked an important stage in the path of growth, transparency and responsibility of the Italian Triathlon Federation.
During the event was presented the first Report of Sustainability of the Federation, realized in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome, and in particular with the Department of Methods and Models for Economy, Territory and Finance (MEMOTEF). The document – prepared according to the main international standards (Global Reporting Initiative – GRI) and validated by an independent review company – represents the result of a joint scientific work that combines academic competence and sports experience to measure, assess and improve the impact of the Federation towards the sports community and the territory.
“We are proud to welcome in Sapienza an initiative that combines research, sport and sustainability. The collaboration with the FITri demonstrates how the dialogue between the academic world and the sports system can generate knowledge, responsibility and value for the community”, the words of Giovanni Di Bartolomeo, Dean of the Faculty of Economics. “This Report – he added – represents a concrete example of how to measure social impact is not only possible, but necessary to build a more fair and sustainable future.”.
After the institutional greetings of the Magnifica Rettrice, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, the Director of the MEMOTEF and the Secretary General of the Coni, the presentation of the Report, a research project that saw the participation of the secretary general of the FITri, Valerio Toniolo, and the professor Silvia Solimene – scientific and project manager –, of the colleague Daniela Coluccia of the Department MEMOTEF and Professor Andrea Billi of Economic Studies.
The collaboration between the Federation and Wisdom has allowed to develop an innovative model of reporting and collaboration with the community, able to combine economic metrics with the social and value dimension of sport. A path that is not limited to photographing the results, but aims to generate a concrete social impact, spreading a new culture of sustainability and responsibility within the sports system.
Data emerge from the Report describing an expanding and deeply rooted Federation in the territory: in 2024 the FITri has reached 28,370 registered and 550 affiliated companies throughout Italy, with an estimated economic induced in more than 20 million euros a year generated by more than 520 national races and 5 international events as well as activities on the territory.
More than 72% of the federal staff are female, a figure that testifies to a governance attentive to gender balance and to the valorisation of skills. The Federation has also organized 65 training events, for a total of 900 hours of lesson and more than 1,200 technicians enabled in only 2024, confirming the will to invest on the skills and professionalism of the movement.
On the environmental level, FITri obtained for two consecutive years the “Bronzo” Certificate for Sustainability from the World Triathlon Sustainability Commission for the stages of Cagliari and Rome. The measures introduced led to a reduction of 18% of disposable materials and an average collection rate of more than 70% in national events, in line with the best practices of environmental sustainability. Even the digitization of federal processes, completed for over 90%, has helped significantly reduce paper usage and improve administrative transparency. One of the most significant chapters of the Report is dedicated to the social and educational impact of FITri activities. Among the most important initiatives is the project “The Triathlon enters school”, which involved over 110 schools and more than 18,500 under 12 students in motor education, inclusion and sustainability programs. The project has allowed thousands of young people to approach sports practice, spreading values of collaboration, respect and well-being.
The Federation also promotes educational paths to sustainability and active aging, in collaboration with local authorities and third sector organisations, contributing to social cohesion and public health. During the meeting, Alessandra De Rose, professor of Wisdom, presented some indicators on the relationship between sport and health, highlighting the role of triathlon as a tool for prevention and well-being. Another distinctive feature of the FITri sustainability path is the participation of stakeholders: over 200 sports companies, athletes, managers and institutional partners have contributed to the definition of the material themes of the Report, consolidating a shared governance model that represents one of the best practices in the national sports scene.
At the end of the meeting, the results of the study were discussed in a round table, moderated by Roberto Giovannini, deputy director of HuffPost, with the participation of Roberta Odoardi (financial director of Sport and Health SpA), Pietro Abate (general secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Rome) and Romolo Guasco (general director of Confcommercio Roma).
The conclusions were entrusted to Riccardo Giubilei, president of the FITri, who presented the next stages of the path of federal sustainability: “The collaboration with Wisdom – says Giubilei – has a value that goes beyond the measurement of results. It has generated a real social impact, networking universities, institutions and sports world to build a shared model of responsible growth. Sport, beyond the competition, is education, inclusion and active citizenship. With the scientific support of MEMOTEF we want to make sustainability a permanent dimension of our identity.”.
The event confirmed FITri’s will to be a laboratory of innovation and reference model in the national sports scene, promoting the culture of sustainability as a motor of development, participation and collective well-being.
-Foto Mec/Italpress-
(ITALPRESS).
