Vatican launches track team of Swiss Guards and nuns
The Vatican has launched an official track team – including Swiss Guards – with the aim of competing in international competitions, as part of an agreement signed with the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).
This content was published on
3 minutes
AP/ts
Русский
ru
Швейцарские гвардейцы — среди легкоатлетов Ватикана
About 60 Holy See runners – Swiss Guards, priests, nuns, pharmacists and even a 62-year-old professor who works in the Vatican’s Apostolic Library – are the first accredited members of Vatican Athletics. It’s the latest iteration of the Holy See’s long-standing promotion of sport as an instrument of dialogue, peace and solidarity.
Because of the agreement with CONI, the team is now a part of the Italian track association and is looking to join the International Association of Athletics Federations. It is hoping to compete in international competitions, including the Games of the Small States of EuropeExternal link – open to states with fewer than one million people – and the Mediterranean GamesExternal link.
“The dream that we have often had is to see the Holy See flag among the delegations at the opening of the Olympic Games,” said Monsignor Melchor Sánchez de Toca y Alameda, team president and the head of the Vatican’s sports department in the culture ministry.
But he said that was neither a short-term nor medium-term goal, and that for now the Vatican was looking to participate in competitions that had cultural or symbolic value.
“We might even podium,” he reckoned.
Rome race
In recent years, the Vatican has fielded unofficial football teams and a cricket team that has helped forge relations with the Anglican church through annual tours in Britain.
Football in the VaticanExternal link goes back to 1521, but the Vatican squad, which also features several Swiss Guards, is one of the few sovereign states whose team is not a member of FIFA, world football’s Zurich-based governing body.
The track team, however, is the first one to have a legal status in Vatican City and to be an official part of the Italian sporting umbrella, able to compete in nationally and internationally sanctioned events and take advantage of the Italian national coaching, scientific and medical resources.
While Pope John Paul II was known for his athleticism – he was an avid skier – Pope Francis is more of a fan, a long-time supporter of his beloved San Lorenzo football team in Argentina.
Vatican Athletics’ first official outing is “Corsa di MiguelExternal link” (Miguel’s Race), a ten-kilometre race in Rome on January 20 honouring Miguel Sánchez, an Argentine distance runner who was one of the thousands of young people who “disappeared” during the country’s Dirty WarExternal link.
More
More
Papal watching
This content was published on
Here are some colourful moments taken during Pope Francis’s visit to Switzerland.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
This content was published on
In many cases, China's use of AI undermines the national security of the US and its allies, according to a US government representative.
Swiss Hells Angels trial alleges rape and money laundering
This content was published on
An allegedly high-ranking member of the Hells Angels is accused of money laundering totalling millions and rape, among other serious crimes.
SWISS is airline ‘group flagship’ says Lufthansa boss
This content was published on
Despite challenges, Lufthansa and its most important subsidiary, Swiss International Airlines, promise increased satisfaction and continued growth.
Swiss rediscover communist zeal after 84-year hiatus
This content was published on
Over 300 participants founded the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) at its congress in Burgdorf in canton Bern at the weekend.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Pope Francis makes rare visit to Switzerland
This content was published on
Pope Francis has visited the Swiss city of Geneva to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
This content was published on
The world's oldest standing army, the Papal Guards, have presented a prototype of its new headgear: Plastic PVC helmets made with a 3D printer.
This content was published on
On May 4, 1998, Alois Estermann was named commander of the Pope’s Swiss Guard. A few hours later, he was found dead in his flat in the Vatican City.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.