(ANS - Turin) - Five days of sports, entertainment, sharing and reflection: time to be together, time for competition and prayer and opportunities to make new friends. All this and more will be on offer at the 26th International Salesian Youth Games which open tomorrow, 29 April, in Turin.
The Games are organized by PGSI (Polisportive Giovanili Salesiane Internazionali). This is the first time they have been held in Turin which this year not only hosts the main events of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco but is also the European Capital of Sport.
The event brings together 1200 athletes from 11 countries (Italy, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Ukraine). They will gather tomorrow night at the PGS Sports Village in Piazzale Grande, Turin.
Competitions will start on Wednesday 30 April in basketball, volleyball, football, five-a-side football and table tennis. In the evening there will be a big celebration with the official opening of the tournament.
On Saturday afternoon, Mass will be celebrated in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians for all the sports delegations present, while on Sunday there will be the finals of three tournaments, followed by the award ceremony and the closing ceremony.
The International Games began in 1988 - the centenary of the death of Don Bosco. They were held in Malta in 1990 and over the years have been held in several cities around Europe.
These are now the 26th games and they are still a great experience of games, sports and sharing in the typical Salesian style, bringing together athletes from across Europe who attend the works of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. In addition to healthy sports competition, the games offer opportunities for the cultural, educational and spiritual growth of the young people, encourage them to build, through sport, a new world based on Christian humanism, personal development and respect for values.
Gianni Malagò, President of the Italian Olympic Committee, gave his approval to the initiative. He praised "the efforts of those who understand the word sport, not only in a competitive sense, but as a way of development in the areas of cultural and social formation, inspired by a Christian vision."
Published 28/04/2015
