Winners Cup 2024: 300 young cancer patients from across Europe celebrate the positive strength of sport
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— 4 hours agoThe Winners Cup tournament has reached its fifth edition, organised by Inter in collaboration with BPER, CSI Milano, AIEOP, and the Bianca Garavaglia Foundation. This two-day event is dedicated to boys and girls undergoing treatment for oncological and hematological diseases, where the game of football serves as an active tool for bringing people together
MILANO, 3 October 2024 – FC Internazionale Milano is back on the field for the fifth edition of the Winners Cup, a football tournament dedicated to adolescent patients from pediatric oncology departments. The event will take place on Saturday, 5 October, at the Sandro Pertini Sports Centre in Cornaredo. This unique event focuses its efforts on demonstrating how sport is a universal language and action, serving as a small but significant antidote to illness.
The two-day program is filled with activities, beginning tomorrow with the welcome of 17 teams arriving from across Italy and six other European countries: Germany, France, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain. Each of the 16 mixed teams will consist of 12 young players, bringing together over 200 boys and girls aged between 15 and 20, united by their passion for sport and their experiences as patients or former patients at one of the approximately thirty pediatric oncology centres involved from Italy and Europe. After the tournament, the young participants will be taken to San Siro Stadium in Milano to watch the Inter vs. Torino match.
“I am particularly proud of this initiative, which exemplifies the ability of sport to bring people together and provide support and great motivation. It is very important for Inter to be a spokesperson for the wonderful work of the organisations that dedicate themselves every day to the future of these young people.”
Javier Zanetti, Vice President FC Internazionale Milano
The event was organised by Inter, in collaboration with partner BPER, as well as the Centro Sportivo Italiano (CSI) Milano and the Gruppo di Lavoro Adolescenti of the Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP). It received support from the Fondazione Bianca Garavaglia, which has been aiding the Pediatria Oncologica department of the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milano for years, as well as from FIAGOP (Federazione Italiana Associazioni Genitori Oncologie Pediatriche) and SIOPE (European Society for Paediatric Oncology).
“The Winners Cup is much more than just a football tournament, it is a symbol of closeness, strength, and hope for these young individuals facing challenging circumstances. We are proud to support a project that celebrates sport as a tool for aggregation and inclusion, actively contributing to instilling courage and motivation in boys and girls during their journey of care and life. Initiatives like this can help make a difference and demonstrate the value and importance of sport in building a support network and fostering connection, capable of instilling confidence even in the toughest moments.”
Serena Morgagni, Responsabile Direzione Communication di BPER
“It is a great privilege for us to be part of this project, as opening seemingly impossible pathways in sport is one of the missions of the CSI, along with a particular focus on young people. A tournament for boys and girls who have faced a cancer diagnosis and the associated treatments during adolescence is truly unique in the world of sport. This virtuous path, supported by medical professionals, reinforces and confirms how physical activity is synonymous with psychological and physical well-being and a positive approach to life’s challenges.”
Massimo Achini, Presidente CSI Milano
“The Winners Cup is a celebration, a day of sport, but above all, a moment of connection and storytelling, where ill young people from across Europe come together to share their experiences. For us professionals working in oncology, the tournament is also a precious opportunity to draw attention to the fact that adolescents are unique patients, at an age between paediatric and adult oncology, and as such, they are sometimes not treated in the most optimal way. These patients require dedicated centres and projects specifically designed for them.”
Andrea Ferrari, oncologo pediatra, ideatore del torneo e coordinatore del gruppo AIEOP dedicato agli adolescenti
Since its first edition in 2017, the Winners Cup has seen the participation of over a thousand young cancer patients, collecting important life stories from these young individuals who challenge themselves every day, finding in sport a vital motivation and a warm environment. Through this initiative, held under the patronage of the Lombardy Region and CONI, Inter has again positioned itself in 2024 as a supporter and spokesperson for the work carried out by paediatric oncology departments, promoting the role of football as a tool for connection and celebration for young people marked by such a difficult life experience.