It is now clear to everyone that the Olympics are played on the fields, on the tracks, in the arenas and in the streets. However, there are also the "parallel games" of politics, controversy, ideals and opportunism, which often overshadow social demands. These include sports ius soli (Italy's citizenship law granted by sports clubs), which usually does not receive the attention it deserves during major sporting events. As reported by La Nazione paper, CONI President Giovanni Malagò made his position clear: "I have tried many times to sensitize many friends who oppose sports ius soli, but without success. I would like to show them what happens to a boy born in Italy to foreign parents: until the age of 18 he wears the blue jersey, but then, to represent Italy, he has to become an Italian citizen and faces bureaucratic hell. Without sports ius soli, we risk losing many talents on whom we have invested, forcing them to leave sports or change countries," Malagò told Il Sole 24 Ore paper. One only has to look at our athletics or women's volleyball teams to see that the problem is real. The Azzurri in Paris will be 403, a record number of participants. As many as 36 athletes were born abroad, in countries such as Argentina, Russia, Canada, Vietnam, Iceland and South Africa, further highlighting the issue of sports ius soli.
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