On Thursday, November 7, starting at 9:30 a.m., at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Cuneo, two world tennis legends, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, will meet thousands of high school students from the province of Cuneo in the new appointment of the format “Dialoghi sul talento”. The appointment, made in partnership with the I Tennis Foundation, Stefanie Graf’s Children for Tomorrow andtheAndre Agassi Foundation for Education , and with the support of Collisioni, follows the cycle of major meetings promoted by the Fondazione CRC – Kerry Kennedy (Bob’s daughter) in 2018, astronaut Paolo Nespoli in 2019, maestro Andrea Bocelli in 2022 and Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola in 2023 – with the aim of inspiring, through meetings with personalities of international stature, the younger generations in the province of Cuneo.
Participation will be open to the public free of charge with registration from www.fondazionecrc.it starting Oct. 23 at 12 noon.
Mauro Gola, president of Fondazione CRC: “ Thanks to the willingness of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf and the collaboration of I Tennis Foundation, on November 7 thousands of girls and boys in our province will have the opportunity to meet two international sports legends live and be inspired by their personal stories. A few days before the ATP Finals in Turin, we are particularly happy to host in Cuneo an appointment that aims to emphasize the value of sports for the discovery and enhancement of the talents of the younger generations and allows the Fondazione CRC to consolidate relationships with important international philanthropic realities”.
Andre Agassi: “ Although I didn’t choose it, tennis has given me many of the best things in my life: my family, my foundation, and a visibility that has allowed me to become active for others and connect with them. I like to recount my experience in the hope that the example of my successes, my challenges, and very often my failures can help others to be better. Of all my accomplishments, what I am most proud of will never be being No. 1 in the world, winning Wimbledon or a gold medal at the Olympics, but having a positive impact on the lives of others. I am looking forward to returning to Italy, a country rich in tennis and sports culture, and a place of which I retain wonderful memories both professionally and humanly.”.
Steffi Graf: “ Tennis has been a significant part of my life. I am proud of what I have achieved on the court, but I always knew that I wanted to use my visibility to help others. In 1998 I created my foundation, Children for Tomorrow, to help children with war trauma from conflict-torn countries. I am very passionate about the work we do. And I have wonderful memories of Italy, where I look forward to returning to promote our Mission.”
Simone Bongiovanni, co-founder I Tennis Foundation: “ We are very happy that Fondazione CRC wanted to involve us in the fifth edition of the ‘Dialoghi sul talento’ format, which this year features two of the greatest champions in the history of tennis, a sporting and life example for all young people. I Tennis was born with the aim of helping young tennis talents who have quality and determination but not the economic possibilities to enhance them. Hence the implementation of several charitable projects including Intesa Sanpaolo Assicura Little Tennis Champions, a multi-year scholarship plan for 12 Italian boys aimed at providing an educational-training path with world-renowned top coaches and participation in international tournaments to enable the best continuation of their tennis journey”.
During the morning, students will be led to think about the value of sports as a tool for growth, discovery of their talents and self-acceptance.
ANDRE AGASSI
The eight Slams in his trophy cabinet (4 Australian Open, 1 Roland Garros, 1 Wimbledon and 2 U.S. Open), combined with Olympic Gold in Atlanta 1996, the year-end Masters and three Davis Cups, as well as finishing one year (1999) ahead of everyone else, make Andre Agassi one of the most successful tennis players in tennis history. In 1994 he founded the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education to provide educational opportunities and resources for underprivileged girls and children.
His autobiography ‘Open’ has sold millions of copies worldwide.
STEFANIE GRAF
Born in Mannheim, Germany, Steffi Graf is among the greatest players of all time and has marked two decades of tennis history with her extraordinary forehand.
Over the course of a unique career she won 22 Grand Slam singles tournaments, achieved a perfect season in 1988 (the four majors plus Olympic gold in Seoul) and remained at the top of women’s tennis for 377 weeks.
In 1998 she created Children for Tomorrow to support the mental health of refugee children.