Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano

The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), founded in 1914 and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the National Governing Body for Sport responsible for sports development and management in Italy. According to the power conferred by its Statutes, Coni is an umbrella organization reuniting 45 national sport federations, 19 associated disciplines, 15 organizations for sports promotion and 19 further cultural associations active in the sports field. An overall number of 95,000 sport clubs fall under Coni’s jurisdiction, counting up to 11 million members. Coni’s annual budget in 2015 amounted to 429,633,000 Euros, primarily funded by the Italian government.
Specific Italian laws on sport (Law 426/1942; Law 178/2002; Law 15/2004) recognize the National Olympic Committee as National Governing Body for Sport and establish its tasks, competences, responsibilities and organization with the aid of Coni Servizi Spa. Coni Servizi is a Stock Company whose registered capital is entirely owned by the Italian Government. The organization and management of all Coni activities – especially those of economic/financial nature - are entrusted to Coni Servizi according to the provisions of Law 178/2002.
Coni leads, maintains and coordinates the organization of sport activities throughout the Country. It sets the basic principles for the regulation of sport activities and for the protection of athletes’ health, in order to ensure the regular and proper conduct of competitions and championships. In addition, Coni sets principles to widespread sport activity in all age groups and population, paying particular attention to youth sport, sport at school, social responsibility initiatives together with the Italian Paralympic Committee, to sport activity for the disabled. Furthermore, as part of the legal sportive system, Coni sets principles against exclusion, inequality, racism and xenophobia, and sets forth and promotes appropriate action against all forms of violence and discrimination in sport. Coni also ensures fair procedures to settle disputes in sport.
It establishes principles and issues regulations on membership and athletes international transfer in order to promote the competitiveness of the national teams, to safeguard national sport and to protect younger athletes. Moreover, Coni sets principles to reconcile the economic dimension of sport with its popular, social, educational and cultural dimension. In its role of National Olympic Committee and as part of the international sport system, Coni sets forth principles to ensure that every young athlete trained for top competitions by any of the sport entities falling under its umbrella receives educational or professional training parallel to sport coaching. Coni, as well, sets principles to prevent and suppress the use of substances or methods that alter the natural and physical performance of athletes both in training and in sport competitions, also in cooperation with authorities responsible for the supervision and control of Doping and health protection in sport. Coni is responsible for the preparation of athletes, the events and the preparation of the necessary means for the participation of the Italian delegation at the Olympic Games and other major sport events. In cooperation with the national sport federations and sport disciplines, Coni cares the preparation and refreshment of trainers, coaches, officials and managers while supporting research in the sport field.