In the splendid setting of the Hotel Delfino, this morning saw the press conference presenting the San Marino delegation for the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, an event that will see the San Marino Team compete alongside representatives from the 26 countries belonging to the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games.
Officially presenting the San Marino team were the Secretary of State for Sport, Rossano Fabbri, the Secretary General of the CONS, Eros Bologna, and Chef de Mission Anna Lisa Ciavatta, in the presence of athletes, coaches, medical staff and delegation support personnel, as well as numerous members of the press.
The institutional gathering provided an opportunity to outline the composition and size of the delegation, the organizational and logistical aspects of the trip and, above all, the significance of a participation that once again carries San Marino’s name and colors onto a major international stage.
“Small state, big dreams” is the message chosen to accompany the San Marino Team on this adventure — a phrase that captures the spirit with which the 29 San Marino athletes, competing across 11 sports, prepare to take on the Mediterranean Games, backed by an overall delegation of 55 people.
The conference was opened by the Secretary General of the CONS, Eros Bologna, who first paid tribute to the late Davide Tizzano, president of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games. “In terms of importance, this event is second only to the Games of the Small States of Europe for us,” Bologna noted. “Taranto has put together a top-level organization, with a Village able to host and bring together a sporting community of more than 4,000 athletes. Our boys and girls are ambassadors for San Marino sport in the Mediterranean, and I am certain they will represent our country brilliantly, both on and off the field of competition.”
Secretary of State Rossano Fabbri commented: “The Mediterranean Games are important for our community and for all the peoples of a vast area. They fall this year, when San Marino holds the title of European Community of Sport, which shows just how deeply the sporting dimension is lived and valued here. Ours is a delegation of real quality, with already established athletes alongside young people gaining experience. San Marino is here — I bring the institutional greetings and support of the Captains Regent and the entire government to the blue-and-white delegation. The Captains Regent will join the team in Taranto after tomorrow’s visit to Titano by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.”
In her remarks, Chef de Mission Anna Lisa Ciavatta highlighted the work carried out in the months leading up to the Taranto Games and the importance of a delegation prepared in every respect. “We have put together a team that stands out both in numbers and in athletic quality,” said Anna Lisa Ciavatta. “We arrive in Taranto eager to do well, fully aware that behind this participation lie months of preparation and effort — not only on the sporting side, but also organizationally. We are proud to be here and to represent San Marino at an event of this magnitude.”
Following the press conference, the San Marino Team is set to officially begin its experience in Taranto, with the opening ceremony scheduled for this evening at 8:15 pm at the Stadio Erasmo Iacovone. It will mark the first moment of an adventure that will see the blue-and-white athletes take to the field of competition in the coming days, determined to give their all and proudly carry San Marino’s name to the heart of the Mediterranean.
