Five evenings, ten meetings, and ten books to explore sports through its protagonists, as well as history, culture, economics, educational models, and societal transformations. After the stops in Cagliari and Arborea, the fourth edition of Ideario Sport – Sports Book Festival continues its touring journey with three new stops in Quartu Sant'Elena and Cagliari from October 15th to November 6th. The festival is organized by ASI Sardegna, in collaboration with the Ideario Cultural Project, and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Sardinia Foundation, the Municipality of Quartu Sant'Elena, CONI Sardegna, and USSI Sardegna. The artistic direction is by journalist Fabio Meloni. It begins on Thursday, October 15th and Friday, October 16th in Quartu Sant'Elena, in the Michelangelo Pira Hall on Via Brigata Sassari, and continues in Cagliari, at the Sa Manifattura spaces on Viale Regina Margherita, on Thursday, October 22nd, Thursday, November 5th, and Friday, November 6th. The program confirms the Festival's chosen cultural direction: starting from books and the evocative power of sport, it goes beyond the competitive result and addresses the stories, ideas, and issues of our time.
The appointments
The first event will be Thursday, October 15th at 6:00 PM (Michelangelo Pira Hall) with "Football is a Story." Giorgio Simonelli, professor of Radio and Television Journalism at the Catholic University of Milan and a television commentator, will present some football stories published in his book "Go Big Foot Go! How the Media Has Reported the World of Football." He will be joined by coach Bernardo Mereu, technical director of the Sardinian National Amateur League. Journalist Bepi Anziani will introduce the event. At 7:15 PM, we'll delve into the world of negotiations, agents, and the behind-the-scenes details of football with "Transfer Market: Business and Passion." Carlo Pallavicino, journalist and former football agent, author of "They Called Us Jackals: The Life of a Young Agent in the Transfer Market Jungle," will converse with Gianfranco Matteoli, director of the Simba Football School in Palmas Arborea. Journalist Lele Casini will introduce the event.
The second evening in Quartu, Friday, October 16, will open at 6:00 pm with "The Italian Team's Gold." Journalist Roberto Condio will present "Italy's Gold. All the Italian Team's Victories in the European, World, and Olympic Championships," a journey through the great collective achievements of Italian sport. Sandro Spinetti, president of the Association of Italian Olympic and National Athletes, will participate. Journalist Fabio Ornano will introduce the event. At 7:15 pm, with "Literature in Slices: Basketball Meets the Classics," sport and literature will meet in an original game of matching. Andrea Sguerri, professor of Italian literature, will present "Basketball is Culture. Exercises in Style Around a Basketball in Slices." He will be joined by Massimo Turella, former captain of the Esperia Cagliari team. Journalist Andrea Sechi will introduce the event.
From Thursday 22nd
The Festival will resume on Thursday, October 22nd in Cagliari, at the Sa Manifattura hall (Viale Regina Margherita). At 6:00 PM, "Formula 1: Racing Italians" will retrace Italy's long adventure in the world's fastest motor sport. Journalist Umberto Zapelloni will present "Formula Italia. The Cars and Drivers Who Made the History of F1," featuring the drivers, teams, technicians, and key figures who have helped establish Italy as a key player in the history of Formula 1. Journalist Vanna Chessa of the USSI Sardinia board will participate. Mario Frongia, journalist and USSI national councilor, will introduce the event. At 7:15 PM, the focus will shift to youth education with "The Future of Football is Played with Children." Journalist Vittorio Sanna, author of "Rifondare il calcio," will discuss, with former footballer Gigi Piras, the relationship between football, education, and growth, starting from a specific thesis: to rethink the future of football, we must start with children, the game, and the role models through which they are formed. Journalist Francesco Aresu will introduce the event.
On Thursday, November 5th, again at Sa Manifattura, at 6:00 PM, tennis will open the evening with "The World Inside a Racket." Sky Sport journalist and radio host Stefano Meloccaro will present "Who We Talk About When We Talk About Tennis: 100 People Without Whom History Would Have Been Different." This story explores tennis, going beyond champions, rankings, and statistics to explore personalities, culture, and imagination. Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, will speak, and journalist Paolo Carta will introduce the event. At 7:15 PM, "The Big Business of Sport" will take the Festival into the economic dimension of major events. Federico Carli, economist, manager, and president of the Guido Carli Association, will present "The Gold Rush: Triumphs, Defeats, and Immeasurable Profits of Major Sporting Events." He will be joined by Stefano Melis, CEO and General Manager of Cagliari Calcio. Journalist Paolo Mastino, president of the USSI Sardegna, will introduce the event.
The fourth edition of Ideario Sport will conclude in Cagliari on Friday, November 6. At 6:00 PM, "Beyond every barrier: the right to win" will focus on the history and social significance of Paralympic sport. Sergio Giuntini, sports historian and essayist, will present "Without obstacles. Stories of Paralympic sport in Italy." He will be joined by athlete and Paralympic manager Sandrino Porru. Francesco Marcello, professor of Sports Science, will introduce the event. At 7:15 PM, the closing session will feature Ferdinando De Giorgi, coach of the Italian men's national volleyball team and author of "Team Selfishness: Exalting the group without sacrificing talent." "Training talent, building the team" will discuss the delicate balance between individuality and group, leadership and responsibility, personal talent and shared goal. Eliseo Secci, former president of the Italian Federation of Paralympic Sports (FIPAV) Sardinia, will speak, and journalist Laura Puddu, of the USSI Sardinia board, will introduce the event.
The artistic director
"With these five evenings, Ideario Sport continues its journey and, above all, expands the variety of topics addressed," emphasizes artistic director Fabio Meloni. "When we launched in 2023, the goal was clear: to make books the meeting point between sport, culture, and community. Books remain at the heart of every event, but above all, they are the starting point for going beyond sports reporting and using sport as a key to understanding society, memory, and our times. After the Cagliari and Arborea events, we arrive at these events with 32 books already presented and 77 guests involved in the four editions, including authors, journalists, sports figures, and experts. This growth encourages us to continue along the path we have undertaken: promoting reading through the extraordinary evocative power and universal language of sport, creating opportunities for encounter, exploration, and discussion. As we have learned over the years, sport tells much more than just sport itself. Indeed, behind every sporting story there are many others: stories of talent and sacrifice, victories and defeats, courage and fragility, failures and rebirths."
(Unioneonline)
