Olimpiadi Gioventu Italiana (OGI) was founded by St Peter’s Italian Club in London in 1978. Its aim remains to provide all young people within the UK’s Italian communities the opportunity to participate in a three-day Olympic event, no matter their level of ability.
The OGI Games are held every two years, over the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the May Day Bank Holiday weekend. Around 750 competitors typically take part in the event, which also attracts up to 5,000 visitors over the three days.
Who Can Participate in the OGI Games?
The OGI Games are open to young people between 9 and 21 years of age who are members of an Italian association or club, or who are currently learning Italian at an evening class or school.
The Background of the OGI Games
The first OGI Games was held at Copthall Stadium in northwest London in 1980; subsequent games have taken place at north London’s New River Stadium. The aim of the event has always been to allow all young people to take part in a variety of sporting events, with the winners being the individuals who take part rather than the clubs that accumulate the most medals.
Teams from all over the UK participated in the first OGI games. Although recent years have seen the number of individuals taking part in the event decline, there have still been an average of around 400 young people participating who relish the opportunity to compete, meet new friends and enjoy the overall experience.
For more information about the OGI, take a look at the embedded PDF.
Sporting Events on Offer
Athletes can compete in a range of sporting events including track, hurdle and relay events, as well as field events such as long jump, high jump, triple jump, discus, shot putt and javelin. Young people can also participate in swimming and swimming relay events, as well as team events including netball and football.
The 2024 OGI Games
The release of the dates of the forthcoming 2024 OGI Games has been met with excitement by supporters of the organisation, such as entrepreneur Mario Carrozzo – OGI is one of a number of local organisations that he has donated to. The 2024 games will be held on the 25th, 26th and 27th May, with the location planned to be Allianz Park (formerly Copthall), although this will be confirmed at a later date. Athletes planning to participate in the OGI Games must submit their registration form to their chosen team by 31st January 2024.