It's already the end of July, but the sports season at Poetto has started late. On the Cagliari coast, state concessions for areas dedicated to sand sports arrived only in recent weeks, while in Quartu the wait continues . Athletes say this is a pattern that repeats itself every summer, prompting them to launch a petition calling for faster procedures and an expansion of the spaces dedicated to beach volleyball, beach tennis, and other sports.
"It's a problem that recurs every year," complains Roberto Valletta, the initiator of the protest. "The procedures are initiated once the season has already begun, and the permits arrive between June and July. If, however, they were to begin in January, the offices would have all the time they need to complete the process, and the associations could plan the season without delays and with greater certainty."
For athletes, however, the issue isn't just about time. They also believe the spaces designated for activities on the sand are now insufficient. The Coastal Use Plans (PUL) of Cagliari and Quartu provide for just six total sports areas along the eight kilometers of Poetto, three for each municipality.
"We're talking about a coastline that serves a metropolitan area of over 500,000 inhabitants, yet less than 1% of the area is dedicated to organized sports," Valletta observes. "In some cases, the areas are so small that even setting up a regulation-sized field is difficult. We're asking for them to be expanded and for sport to be considered a resource for the region, as it is in other Italian communities, not a marginal activity."
Meanwhile, the mobilization has already begun. The online petition has reached around 200 signatures in just a few days and represents the first step in a broader initiative. "This is a preparatory phase," Valletta explains. "In September, we will launch the official petition, addressed to the Region. We want to bring a concrete request to the attention of the institutions: to expedite the procedures for concessions, expand the sports areas, and finally ensure continuity for the associations that operate on Poetto every year. Sport deserves to be supported, not hindered by bureaucracy."
