Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions Italian-Swiss families most often ask the Swiss delegation of CONI: who can take part, how to apply, what it costs and who to write to.
Who can take part in the CONI events in Switzerland?
The activities of the Swiss delegation of CONI are aimed at children, teenagers and adults of Italian origin living in Switzerland. Some events are open to everyone with no sporting requirements, such as the National Sports Day; others, such as the Trofeo CONI, have requirements of age, origin and club registration written in the call published on the portal. Before applying it is therefore worth reading the call for the individual event, and if in doubt writing to delegato.svizzera@coni.it.
Projects →Which events does the Swiss delegation of CONI organise?
The portal presents three projects: the Trofeo CONI, the Under 14 mini-Olympics in summer and winter editions; the National Sports Day, the sports festival open to everyone on the first Sunday of June; and Turismo delle Radici, the project of sport and rediscovery of Italian roots promoted together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The opportunities open at any given moment are listed in the Competitions and opportunities section, while the calendar gathers every scheduled date.
Projects →Is Italian citizenship required to register?
There is no single rule: the requirements are written in the call for each event. For the Trofeo CONI 2026, for example, the call asks for at least one parent of Italian nationality or dual Italian-Swiss citizenship; for the Turismo delle Radici 2026 weekend, Italian descent and residence in Switzerland were required. If a family situation does not clearly fit these cases, it is better to write to delegato.svizzera@coni.it before applying.
Competitions and opportunities →How old are the athletes of the Trofeo CONI?
The Trofeo CONI is reserved for Under 14 athletes. For the 2026 national summer final, the General Regulations of the Trofeo CONI admit girls and boys born between 2012 and 2016, that is the U10 to U14 categories. The age brackets are confirmed for every edition by the regulations published by CONI.
Trofeo CONI →When and where does the Trofeo CONI 2026 take place?
The eleventh summer edition of the Trofeo CONI is held in Puglia from 4 to 7 October 2026: the opening ceremony is in Bari, while the competitions take place in Capurso, at the PalaLivatino, the PalaPadovano and the new FIPE Federal Centre for weightlifting. Around 5,000 Under 14 athletes from all over Italy are expected. The Swiss delegation of CONI takes part as a guest in the official "Italian Communities Abroad" section and goes straight to the national final, without the Italian provincial and regional stages.
Trofeo CONI →How do you apply and which documents are needed?
Applications are sent with the online form of the portal, either from the page of the event or from the Registration page. The required fields are the name, email and phone number of the parent or guardian, the name and date of birth of the child, the identity document of both and the signature of the parent or guardian, plus acceptance of the regulations and of the privacy policy. Sport, club, gender, notes and the consent to photos and video are optional and can be left blank. The registration form for the projects does not require an account; to put an athlete forward from the page of a call you have to sign in to the portal or register, so that you can follow the status of the application.
Registration →What is the application deadline?
Every call has its own deadline, shown in the "At a glance" box on its page. For the Trofeo CONI 2026 the deadline was extended to 10 September 2026: applications are assessed by 20 September 2026 and the outcome is sent to families by email by 25 September 2026. Applications arriving after the deadline cannot be considered.
Competitions and opportunities →How are the athletes of the Swiss delegation selected?
The selection is made by the national CONI delegate in Switzerland. For the Trofeo CONI 2026 the call sets out five criteria: how well the Swiss cantons are represented, the spread across the requested disciplines, recent competitive experience, federal registration (Italian or Swiss) and, for equally strong profiles, the order in which applications arrive. The call provides for 20 places, but the final number depends on the agreements with the Organising Committee in Puglia and on the disciplines admitted for guest delegations.
Competitions and opportunities →Can someone living in another country take part?
Yes: the registration form of the portal is open to people of Italian origin living in Switzerland or abroad, including outside the neighbouring countries. The requirements of each call still apply: the one for the Trofeo CONI 2026, for instance, asks for residence in Switzerland or registration with a Swiss sports club. Anyone living in another country can write to delegato.svizzera@coni.it or contact the CONI delegate for their own country, listed on the Italian communities abroad page.
Italian communities abroad →How much does it cost to take part?
There is no single fee: what is included and what the family pays is written in the call for each event. For the Trofeo CONI 2026 the trip is organised by the Swiss delegation, and the participation fee is communicated to the selected athletes after the applications have been assessed. For the Turismo delle Radici 2026 weekend, flights, meals, accommodation, local transport and activities were included. The National Sports Day is a festival open to everyone and requires no club licence.
Competitions and opportunities →Who pays for travel and accommodation?
It depends on the project. For Turismo delle Radici, travel, meals and accommodation are covered by the organisers, that is CONI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the Trofeo CONI, the trip to Italy is organised by the Swiss delegation, which tells the selected athletes the participation fee and the logistical details; parents or guardians are invited to accompany the minors. For volunteers who accompany young athletes to Italy, travel and accommodation are covered by the delegation.
Turismo delle Radici →What is the National Sports Day?
It is the sports festival established by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers with the directive of 27 November 2003 and celebrated every year on the first Sunday of June. Since 2018 it has also been held abroad: the first edition outside Italy took place on 3 June 2018 at the Sihlhölzli Stadium in Zurich, organised by the Swiss delegation of CONI. It is open to children, teenagers and adults: no club licence is needed, just trainers and the will to give it a go. The next edition is planned for Sunday 6 June 2027.
National Sports Day →What is Turismo delle Radici?
It is the project with which Italy reconnects with the millions of people of Italian descent around the world, promoted by CONI together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through sport, young Italian-Swiss people meet peers from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Venezuela. The first phase ended on 14 June 2026 at Piazzale della Farnesina in Rome, where the youngsters took on the Giochi CONI Fair Play course and received the "Young Ambassadors of Sport Diplomacy" plaque.
Turismo delle Radici →How can a sports club be listed on the portal?
Sports clubs and Italian associations in Switzerland fill in the form on the Register your club page. Only a few fields are required: the club name, the town and canton where it is based, the name and email of the person sending the request, and consent to the processing of the data. The activities or sports practised, the description, the year of foundation, the address, the contact details, the website, the social media and the logo are optional and can be added later. The delegation checks the information before publishing the entry in the club list and writes to the address provided if anything needs clarifying.
Register your club →How do you become a volunteer?
You apply from the Volunteers wanted page. You can help with sports events in Switzerland, with the welcome desk, logistics, timing and communication, or accompany young Italian-Swiss athletes on trips to Italy. You need to be at least 16, with written parental consent for minors, and to know one of the languages of the delegation, Italian, German, French or English; chaperones in Italy must be of legal age. Being available for a single event is enough: no ongoing commitment is required.
Volunteers wanted →How do you keep up with the next opportunities?
Open applications are listed in the Competitions and opportunities section, while the calendar gathers all the scheduled dates. The portal also publishes news, photos and videos from every edition. To receive alerts by email, sign up for the newsletter of the Swiss delegation of CONI.
Calendar →Who should you write to for information?
The official address of the Swiss delegation of CONI is delegato.svizzera@coni.it. The Delegate is Mr Cirano Tondi, in office since 2013 and confirmed for the 2025-2028 Olympic term. The same address can be used for questions about requirements, documents and cases the calls do not cover.
Did not find your answer?
Write to the Swiss delegation of CONI: we answer questions about requirements, documents and cases the calls do not cover.
delegato.svizzera@coni.it