The decision has now been made: at Sportinfiera 2026, only first-year classes from middle schools will take part. It’s a decision that doesn’t sit well with the Secretary of State for Education, Teodoro Lonfernini, who addressed the matter in an interview with San Marino RTV.
«I’m certainly sorry about a choice that, in my view, could have continued in line with previous years,» Lonfernini told San Marino RTV, «given that Sportinfiera is a system-wide event, which I have always considered as such – both in my role as Secretary for Sport at the time, and now as Secretary of State for Education».
The issue centers precisely on the reduced participation of middle school students. This year, attendance will be limited to first-year classes, following a decision taken by the Teaching Staff Board (Collegio dei Docenti). While the secretary has no intention of interfering with that assessment, he did not hide his own stance. «I certainly can’t weigh in on the merits of that decision. What is certain, though, is that personally, I’m disappointed. I’d say I have a slight sense of frustration, precisely because I’m a strong advocate for synergy between school and sport, between educational activities and sports federation activities».
There is, however, no controversy over the future of the initiative. Lonfernini is already looking ahead and reaffirms his commitment to continue working to strengthen the bond between schools and the world of sport. «No problem at all: Sportinfiera will certainly be a great success again this year. We’ll keep working on that synergy between school and sport, and I’m confident we’ll manage to bring back into the system something we’re only experiencing partially this year in terms of middle school participation. But no problem».
