This year’s event will be the twentieth edition of the “Memorial Arturo Gander” in Chiasso, on the fortieth anniversary of the first, historic edition that took place in 1984. Two important contemporary anniversaries that we will honor in the best possible way by once again presenting a cross-section of the best of women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics in Chiasso. It will also be an opportunity to discover the renovated Palapenz that has undergone a radical external renovation and an internal restyling thanks to a major investment by the Municipality of Chiasso, which I would like to officially thank in these lines. My hope is to be able to welcome some of the best gymnasts on the international stage to Chiasso and I am also convinced that we will be able to greet some excellent protagonists of the recent Paris Olympics. It goes without saying that the ten male and ten female gymnasts competing will not disappoint the expectations of the audience present who will thus be able to watch a thrilling competition and experience an evening full of emotions. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Swiss Gymnastics Federation for their competent support, to the Municipality of Chiasso, already mentioned above, to the Sport-Toto Fund, to the Promo Foundation, to the Chicco d’Oro company, a historic partner, to the Banca Popolare di Sondrio (Suisse) SA, a new partner, to all the other sponsors, to the advertisers of the official program, to the donors and supporters who have supported us in this new adventure despite the not exactly easy economic context in a region already put under pressure by various external contingencies. I would also like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all the members of the Organization Committee who have been working behind the scenes for months together with all the collaborators who will be available during the three days of the event, on a voluntary basis, I would like to remind you, so that everything can go perfectly. In this regard, I like to quote a phrase that I recently read: “it is the details that make perfection; perfection, however, is not a detail”! I could easily resort into rhetoric but without all this zero-cost labor, believe me, this event could not have taken place for 40 years. My warmest greetings go to the gymnasts, the true protagonists of the event, to their coaches, the judges and and to all enthusiastic fans of artistic gymnastics ; I extend a warm welcome to them all to Chiasso for this twentieth edition. My last thanks go to the esteemed public who will honor us with their presence at the Palapenz by purchasing the entrance ticket. Finally, I invite everyone to warmly support and encourage the gymnasts, giving them warm and thunderous applause for an evening that, as always, must be counted among those important for the sporting situation, but not only, of our town. |
