FLORENCE, 14 JULY 2016 – Great figures of the world of sport, Olympic champions who have made the history of an event like the Menarini International Fair Play Award that has reached its 20 edition. The theatre where the award ceremony took place is located in Piazza del Municipio in Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo, Tuscany), with over 300 guests arriving in the Arezzo area for the event organised by the International Mecenate Award Association. Michele Criscitiello, the Director of Sportitalia, media partner of the Menarini Fair Play Award, was the master of ceremonies to celebrate not only the award winners' sports successes but also their ethical behaviour.

“Menarini believes deeply in the value of ethics, correctness and fair play and it has been a firm supporter of this event for 4 years now”, declared Lucia Aleotti and Alberto Giovanni Aleotti, Menarini Chairperson and Vice Chairman. “We decided to support it as Title Sponsor, precisely because of our belief in the principles that guide the winners of each year's awards, all of whom are examples of great sporting professionalism and conduct and symbols of fair play from nations around the world.”

Every single winner attended the awards. From Sofia Lugugnani (“Fair Play Fiamme Gialle” study and sport award) to Umberto Panerai ex water polo winner of two championships with the Rari Nantes team. Andrea Abodi was also there, chairman of the Italian “Serie B League”, who was given the “Il Gesto” (Gesture) award, delivered to him by Giancarlo Antognoni, a Fair Play Award ambassador.

Italo Cucci, one of last year's winners, handed over the “Narrare le emozioni” (Narrating emotions) award to Marino Bartoletti.

Tegla Loroupe, the Kenyan athlete who holds the 20 thousand, 25 thousand and 30 thousand metre world records, and who is today engaged on promoting peace was an obvious choice for the “Fair Play per la Pace” (Fair Play for Peace) award.

There was a special prize giving ceremony for the Volpi Rosse Menarini wheelchair basketball team to whom Sacha Danilovic and Roberto Brunamonti handed over the diploma and the “Lo sport oltre lo sport” (Sport beyond sport) award. Sara Morganti, champion of para-dressage who will be competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio in a few months' time, was in the same category. The link with the Brazilian Olympics was reinforced by the presence of Bernard Rajzman, given the “Carriera nel Fair Play” (Career in Fair Play) award.

Then it was Luca Cantagalli's turn for the “Fair Play” category, ex volleyball player of the generation who made Italian volleyball go down in history. This year's event also hosted the two legendary figures of Alexei Nemov and Kjetil Andrè Aamdot.

The special prize “Sustenium Energia e Cuore” (Sustenium Energy and Heart) went to the windsurf champion Alessandra Sensini, one of the 24 candidates officially chosen by the Executive Committee of the IOC.

Among the most acclaimed was the skier Peter Fill, the first Italian to win the world cup for downhill skiing, and who also brought the cup won in the 2015-2016 season to Castiglion Fiorentino. The young people of the ISC awarded him the “Modello per i giovani” (Model for the young) prize for the values that he represents for the new generations.

“Sport e vita” (Sport and Life) is the award given to Marie Jose Perec, sprinter and Olympic champion.

The letter sent by Michael Schumacher's family to the Award organisers was particularly moving. The German racing driver, victim of a bad skiing accident, was given the Special “Fair Play e coraggio” (Fair Play and Courage) award, which was received, at the specific request of his family, by Stefano Demonicali, a Fair Play Awards ambassador.

Gianluca Pessotto, former footballer and now manager of Juventus was also present in Piazza del Municipio, to receive the “Il legame con la terra di Arezzo” (Link with Arezzo) on behalf of Emilio Sanchez, former tennis player and winner of more than 65 trophies in his career, a link which was reinforced even more on the evening of the awards. Sanchez, in fact, was one of the first tennis players to support the Fede Lux Foundation, created in memory of Federico Luzzi, a professional tennis player from Arezzo who died prematurely.

Lastly, the “Fair Play” award was assigned to Borja Valero, who was unable to attend the ceremony and who will receive the award at a future date.

The XX edition of the Menarini Fair Play Awards ceremony was also attended by ambassadors and supporters of the previous editions, like Manuela di Centa, Italo Cucci, Giancarlo Antognoni, Antonietta Di Martino, Ivan Origone, Sasha Danilovic, Paolo Tofoli, Klaus Dibiasi, Igor Cassina.