Bruno Molea declared the WSG2023 open

“It is my pleasure to declare open the seventh edition of the CSIT World Sports Games!” These were the final words of CSIT President Bruno Molea at the WSG opening ceremony on Wednesday, September 6th, in the Piazza Garibaldi in Cervia.

The parade, with almost all of the 4,000 athletes and 1,000 officials of the CSIT family, had started moving at the Rotondo della Pace barely two hours before the official starting signal. "These are going to be the best days of my life," said track and field athlete Anita from the huge Mexican team during the parade, where the enthusiastic athletes played music, danced and made countless international friendships and contacts.

But Signore Molea also found very serious words during his opening speech: „Ladies and gentlemen, civil and military authorities, dear CSIT family, I am very glad to be here with you because this event has many emotional aspects: First of all, this is the first edition after the terrible world pandemic. We are here together, but many friends are no longer with us. The second aspect is the disaster that hit the Emilia Romagna region: I speak about the flooding. It was terrible; many cities were underwater for many days, many citizens were without houses, and some people lost everything. Their lives have changed.”

The CSIT president pointed out very clearly that sports is a vehicle of inclusion and the World Sports Games will represent a new start, particularly for this area. “With our festival, we not only bring competition and show elements. We also move the economy and bring hope to this region.”