Alghero celebrates the unveiling of the statue of Tore Burruni.

A bronze statue commemorating Tore Burruni, the great Alghero boxing champion who won the flyweight world title, will be unveiled tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, at 6:00 PM, in Piazza Sulis, near the Hotel Management Institute. This is a long-awaited moment for the city, and it will be a truly festive occasion. The statue, created by artist Antonio De Paoli, weighs approximately 400 kilograms and is the result of a project carried out for over three years by the Tore Burruni Social Promotion Association. The association was officially unveiled on February 4, 2023, in the former gymnasium of the Alghero Boxing Group, with the aim of fulfilling the City Council's unanimous desire to dedicate a monument to the champion. However, the project originated even earlier, from an idea by sports journalist Carlo Branca, developed together with a group of friends and the Burruni family. Over the years, funds have been raised, companies and institutions have been involved, and conferences, school meetings, and exhibitions of memorabilia, photographs, and old articles dedicated to the Alghero boxer have been organized. The process has also encountered some obstacles. The initial location chosen was Piazza del Ginnasio, in front of the old gym where Burruni began throwing his first punches. However, the Superintendence's refusal made it necessary to find another location, ultimately choosing Piazza Sulis. Present at today's press conference were councilors Francesco Marinaro, Maria Grazia Salaris, and Enrico Daga, the president of the Alghero Foundation, Graziano Porcu, the champion's son Gianfranco Burruni, the artist Antonio De Paoli, and the president of the Tore Burruni Association, Carlo Branca, along with Romano Marcias. The work was supported by the association's fundraising campaign, several local businesses, the longtime sponsor GBC, the Fondazione di Sardegna, the Sassari Chamber of Commerce, and the Alghero Foundation. On Saturday at 6 pm, the long route will finally reach the finish line, with Alghero ready to pay homage to one of the greatest protagonists in its sporting history.