Kinderiadi 2018
In 2003, the Kinder+Sport project had not yet been born. However, since the very beginning of Ferrero's partnership with the National Volleyball Federation, the company has grasped the great potential of the youth sports movement. As such, Ferrero has adapted the Kinder brand, changing it to "Kinderiadi", and has so far supported 16 editions of the regional and provincial girls and boys youth volleyball trophy, for both indoor and beach versions of the sport. This represents the final stage in a promotional initiative which focuses on reaching and engaging with tens of thousands of young people, both within schools and on the court. More than 700 competitors aged 16 and below take part each year, representing their region and hoping to take home the trophy; the competition is just one of the many events that place young people in the spotlight, enabling them to grow, compete and mature through sport.
The young men of Lombardy's boys team were crowned Italian champions for 2018 having beaten off stiff competition from Puglia in the final game, held at the beautiful PalaTricalle courts in Chieti (Abruzzo was the host region): the thousands of young people filling the stands at the match created an impressive atmosphere, worthy of the biggest volleyball games. In the women's final, Lazio won 3-0 against Piedmont. The importance of the event was underlined by the presence of the Under-secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Hon. Giancarlo Giorgetti, who has always been a keen follower of the volleyball movement. "For me, volleyball is a little like family; as a fan, I have been to a number of different editions of the Trofeo delle Regioni", explained Giorgetti. "Nobody who has been in the stands can fail to be moved by the sheer enthusiasm and by what the event represents - it truly is sport at its finest. The government initiatives that we are looking to implement are primarily focused on beginner level sport. All young people in Italy must have the opportunity to practice the sport in the same way. Our young men and women must not be divided into Serie A and Serie B." Meanwhile, Bruno Cattaneo, the president of the Italian Volleyball Federation, emphasised the way in which Ferrero has helped to support youth activity through the Kinder+Sport project, taking sport, play and growth as its inspiration and working tirelessly on complex promotional projects, from the design of the very latest technical kit, to Volley S3, conceived to offer schools the very best teaching, to initiatives that teach the fundamentals of motor activity and pre-competition level mini-volleyball.