Turkmen Receives 'International Personality' Award

CBI President becomes the second person to be awarded as an international figure as a true recognition of the career of a manager who has dedicated his life to the world of Bocce sport.

Rai Sports journalist Simona Rolandi presented the award ceremony accompanied by various famous figures such as the actor Kaspar Capparoni, the Italian singer Luisa Corna, the pianist Andrea Bacchetti, the composer Agostino Penna and the author/director Domenico Fortunato.

In addition to the host Giovanni Malagò, the president of CONI, Flavio Siniscalchi, Head of the Department of Sport, Antonello Aurigemma, President of the Lazio Regional Council, Beniamino Quinteri, the president of ICS, Dr Mutlu Turkmen, president of the International Bocce Confederation (CBI), Riccardo Milana, FIB General Secretary, Moreno Rosati, CER President and CBI Vice President, Roberto Favre, FIB Deputy Vice President, Riccarda Ambrosi, vice president of FIB and the Federal Councilors, Presidents and Regional Delegates of FIB also were present in the ceremony.

The President of the Italian Bocce Federation, Marco Giunio De Sanctis, assured that the world of bocce in Italy is constantly growing: “It has been an exciting season. For several years, we have been organizing major events in Italy: two World Championships in 2022, a European Championship in 2023, a Paralympic Boccia World Challenger in Sardinia and a Raffa Senior European Championship in Terni in 2024 and, the icing on the cake, the Petanque World Championship that will take place in September 2025 at the Circo Massimo in Rome. I am pleased to have received direct funding from the Government because it is a huge event of international importance”.

CBI President Dr Mutlu Turkmen shared his thankfulness to the Italian Bocce Federation for its ongoing support to the Raffa speciality of Bocce sport as the leader national federation all over the world. Besides, Turkmen emphasized that he received the award on behalf of the World Bocce players: "There are hundreds of thousands of Bocce players all over the world on four continents practising Bocce with dedication and passion who are the main partners of the global Bocce family. Without their enthusiasm and dedication, we can't enable the continuity of CBI and I would like to receive this award as their representative". Turkmen also expressed his thankfulness to CONI President Giovanni Malagò for his close support of the Bocce sport and for hosting this historical award ceremony. 

The people who were awarded in the 43rd edition of the FIB MB award ceremony: Daniele Grosso (male senior athlete), Natalie Gamba (female senior athlete), Giulia Marchisio and Gabriele Zendron (paralympic athletes), Sofia Pistolesi (athlete under 18), Pedavena ASD (Volo Club), Vita Nova Savigliano (Petanque Club), Fashion Service Sant'Angelo Montegrillo (Raffa Club), Claudio Mamino (manager), Eros Del Bianco (referee), Cristiano Vitto (coach), Enrico Piotti (special prize), and Dr Mutlu Turkmen (international personality).