Monza, Italy—Four teams of young players competed in the 14th Peace Trophy interethnic football tournament.
The tournament took place on June 30, 2019, at the Sada Stadium in the northern Italian city of Monza. Fifty young people, divided into four teams, faced off in a day of competition and integration between young people residing in the same territory but belonging to different nationalities, cultures and traditions.
The day opened with qualifying matches in a single round, which lasted all morning, followed by lunch together to promote mutual respect and friendship among the young participants. After qualifying, the last meetings were held in the afternoon.
The final victory for Sanmaurense Pavia with a score of 2 to 1 decided the first place of the tournament. In second place were the young students of various nationalities of the Provincial Center for Adult Education (CPIA) of Monza, who had come from two months of training with volunteer coaches, thanks to the Juvenilia Sports Club. At the end, the CPIA players gave flowers to their professors to thank them for their commitment. The Real Monza team won third place, beating only the youngsters of the UPF Sport for Peace team in regular time after the draw.
At the end of the games the players were awarded cups, medals and presents by the authorities, including the presenter of this year's testimonial, Mario Beretta, a coach with experience in the Serie A football competition; Carlo Zonato, the president of UPF-Italy; and Andrea Arbizzoni, the councilor for sport of the municipality of Monza.
According to Carlo Chierico, president of the Monza branch of UPF, who organized the event together with the Brianza Committee of the Italian Union of Sport for All (UISP) and with the collaboration of the Italian Association of Football Coaches Onlus (AIAC), sports promote education, health and peace, as well as social values such as team spirit, fair competition, cooperation, solidarity, and human rights. For this reason, the role of sports in combating social exclusion, inequalities, racism and xenophobia is recognized in this initiative.
The commitment and example of UPF co-founders Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, were mentioned. In fact, the Peace Trophy demonstrates how sports are inextricably linked to the protection of individuals and global harmony.
In fact, sports are one of the ways to know oneself and others, to coexist with others and, ultimately, to open oneself to an integral vision of humanity. Sports entail respect for oneself and for others, tolerance, and the ability to recognize one's own limits and learn to overcome them. Sports are a great school of life in simple language for young people.
The Trophy of Peace this year enjoyed the patronage of the Lombardy Region, of the Italian National Olympic Committee of Lombardy, of the municipality and of the province of Monza, and other municipalities of the territory.
A short film of the tournament will be made, edited by students of the G. Meroni High School in the town of Lissone.