EU Mamanet Project

More than 350 female athletes in 35 teams will take part in the Mamanet Tournament of the 7th CSIT World Sports Games 2023 in the Emilia Romagna region. Matches will be played on four indoor courts and one beach venue in Cervia. 14 of the participating nations are part of a funded EU project. The target is to make the sport even more popular worldwide. Workshops and training programs form the framework of the project. Mamanet is a showcase sport for gender equality. "We don't just want to attract new nations to our sport," says Veronica Avantaggiato. The young Italian is leading the EU Mamanet project as a part of the WSG. "We also want to create opportunities for these countries to travel to competitions and host new tournaments."

The initial spark for the international Mamanet Movement came from Israel, primarily from CSIT partner association Hapoel. Because many new nations have entered the community full of enthusiasm, Mamanet has long been a highly successful and traditional part of the WSG. A brief explanation for new interested women (and men… of course!): The sport is based on volleyball rules. The big difference is that the ball has to be caught, passed on and then thrown over the net. Emerging leagues already exist in Israel and many other countries.

Women who, for family reasons, for their professional situation and/or because of other circumstances, have had little time and opportunity so far, they find the optimal opportunity to enter a competitive sport in Mamanet. The exemplary high level of fairness supports this entry enormously.

"We are convinced that the EU project is a crucial step into the future," adds Veronica Avantaggiato. "Our confidence that other projects will follow is high." But for the moment, it's all about the perfect handling of the mega tournament in Cervia, where matches start at 8:30 a.m. every day.