EUROPE/ITALY - Italian Salesians launch sports program in response to educational emergency

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – The Salesians in Italy continue to sponsor sports programs and thus have launched a new national association entitled “CNOS Sport.” On July 13, the Superiors of the 6 Italian Provinces signed an agreement setting up a new National Sports Association. “It will be a simple structure markedly educational,” said Fr Claudio Belfiore, responsible at National level for the new organization. There are two aims which the Salesians in Italy set themselves with “CNOS Sport”: to coordinate the pastoral work through sport in Salesian centers and to promote the educational values of sport. The Salesian Provincials are convinced that recovering the educational values of sport will be a firm response to the educational emergency, a way of accompanying the young offering them a constructive approach to the problems which nowadays are a feature of the worlds of sport and of the young such as deviant behavior, boredom and bullying.” “CNOS Sport” can count on a net-work of over 250 oratories and youth centers around the country, mainly located on the outskirts and in areas of social deprivation. On the fields and in the gyms of Salesian oratories athletes have developed in all disciplines and especially become champions in life. For more information: Fr. Claudio Belfiore, doncli@tiscali.it. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 15/7/2009)