The Ussi, Italian athletes and authorities united in Villasimius in memory of Gianni Minà. A three-day event that had as guests at the Tanka from Gianfranco Coppola to Giuseppe Meloni, passing through Paolo Mastino, Emilio Montaldo, Rosanna Lavezzaro, Antonio Nicolli, Father Gabriele Semino, Paolo De Angelis, Micaela Morelli, Rita Dedola, Ester Cois, Stefania Rosas, Mimma Caligaris and Loredana Macchietti Minà.
Many sports champions, Sardinian and not only. From Beppe Dossena to Renato Zaccarelli, Stefano Oppo, Renato Copparoni, Beppe Tomasini and Marabadminton, the new Italian champion. The Ussi international award 2025 - dedicated to Gianni Minà - also saw greetings from Adriano Panatta, Marco Tardelli, Alessia Orro and Giovanni Malagò.
The work - from the training course of the Order of Journalists to the inaugural ceremony and the initiatives of inclusion, culture, exaltation of the territory and attention to the new generations - was attended by Gianfranco Coppola, Mario Zaccaria and Paolo Mastino (presidents of USSI national, Campania and Sardinia), Giuseppe Meloni (president of Odg Sardinia), Gianluca Dessì, Michele Cireddu and Francesco Ciusa (mayor, councilor and secretary, Villasimius), Rosanna Podda and Francesco Piludu (regional departments of Tourism and Programming), Micaela Morelli (Fondazione di Sardegna), the regional councilors Alberto Urpi (mayor of Sanluri) and Stefano Schirru, Antonio Nicolli (vice commissioner), Stefano Colantonio and Massimo Meloni (lieutenant colonel and major, Carabinieri). The Award - curated by the associations Mediterranea, Acib, Craregione, Msp and CralRegione - had the media partner Rai, patronage and support of Coni, Order of Journalists, Ussi Sardinia, Fnsi, Foundation of Sardinia, Region of Sardinia, Sport and Health, Municipalities of Villasimius and Sanluri, FederCusi, Order of Doctors and University of Cagliari.
The award opened with the Odg course “Women, profession and sport. Between values, discrimination and other stories”. With Gianfranco Coppola, Giuseppe Meloni, Vittorio Di Trapani, Emilio Montaldo (Fnsi and Cagliari Medical Association), moderated by Mario Zaccaria and Cristiana Aime (Rai), reports by Loredana Macchietti Minà, Mimma Caligaris (vice president of Ussi), Simona Rolandi (Rai Sport); Valentina Bisti (Tg1-Rai), Ester Cois (vice rector of Gender Equality, University of Cagliari), Rita Dedola (Equality Councilor, Metropolitan City of Cagliari), Camilla Frigerio (Vero Volley Consortium, Monza), Rosanna Lavezzaro (Cagliari Police Chief); Micaela Morelli; Stefania Rosas (Special Olympics); Gianna Zazzara (vice president of Assostampa Sardegna). The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Father Gabriele Semino (theological faculty, Cagliari), Paolo De Angelis (assistant prosecutor of the Cagliari court), Ignazio Artizzu (chief editor of Rai), Gianluca Dessì (who awarded Loredana Macchietti Minà), Michele Cutolo (MCL national vice president), Stefano Oppo (multiple Olympic medallist), Renato Copparoni (former goalkeeper of Cagliari, Torino and Lazio), Beppe Tomasini (legend of Cagliari, champion of Italy), Beppe Dossena (world champion in Spain '82) and Renato Zaccarelli (captain of Torino, the 1976 championship winner). For the occasion, the USSI national presidency committee also met at the Tanka with, in addition to Gianfranco Coppola, Mario Zaccaria, Mimma Caligaris and Mario Frongia, Giuliano Veronesi and Gabriele Tacchini.
In the mixed padel ghost tournament, Acquafresca-Esposito and Di Matteo-Hasselbaink tied for the title. Second place went to Zola-Urpi and Marchese-Suazo. The 7-a-side football match between champions, refereed by Beppe Dossena and Renato Zaccarelli, and the Special Olympics, coordinated by the scientific director, Stefania Rosas, were particularly applauded. Over two evenings, four episodes of “Cercatore di storie” by Gianni Minà - who passed away at the age of 84 in March 2023 - were shown, with interviews with Maradona, Cassius Clay, Sergio Leone, Robert De Niro, James Wood, Ennio Morricone and Enzo Jannacci, with commentary by Loredana Macchietti Minà, moderated by Rai reporters, Simona Rolandi, Simona Desole and Valentina Bisti, followed by a debate.
(Online Union)
