The Italian National Olympic Committee in the USA (Coni USA) and the Committee of Italian Abroad in NY (Com.It.Es NY) have announced the second Bocce & Picnic Tournament for families of the Italian, Italian-American communities and all citizens who love the Italian language and culture. 

The Tournament takes place on the bocce courts in the Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx on Saturday, April 1, 2023, from 10am to 3pm (games start at 11am). The sport aspect of the event is entrusted to Coni Usa, creator of the program, while the financial, organizational and promotional support is shared by the two entities. 

The first tournament was held in Queens in October of 2022, with the enthusiastic participation of eight teams and 25 players, some of whom were not Italian citizens, but lovers of Italy and its language. 

With this initiative, Coni USA and Comites NY wish to create annual bocce tournament for the community, where healthy physical activity and socialization take place which also generates new friendships. 

Bocce Court address and directions - Pelham Bay Park, Aileen B. Ryan Recreational Complex Bocce Courts, 3505 Bruckner Blv. The Bronx, NY, 10461. Subway stops: Line 1 (207 Street); Line 6 (Pelham Bay Park). City buses: Bx12, SBS, Bx6. There is free parking inside the park, check location on Google Map. 

Participants - Teams composed of 2, 3 and 4 players from 8 years old and up. 

Regulations and prizes - Three rounds with a closing final. International rules of the game are adopted. The top three teams will be awarded medals (and more) and will be invited to a grand finale to take place in the Fall (date and location to be announced later in the year.) 

Registration - Registration forms must be requested by email at this address: [email protected]. A contribution of $60 per team ($15 per person) is suggested. You can also register and form teams on site before the start of the tournament. Coni USA and ComitesNY organisers will be at the bocce courts from 10am. 

Picnic - To promote socialization between participants, a picnic will take place after the competitions in the area adjacent to the bowling green. Participants must provide their own food and special beverages (no alcoholic beverages are permitted in public parks.) Free bottles of water will be available. 

Organizers on site:

Cav Uff. Mico Delianova Licastro, head of Coni Usa, recalls why he proposed bowls to Comites NY: “The sport of bocce lends itself well to involving everyone in the families of our communities, from the youngest to the ”differently young.” It is also ideal for socializing thanks to its easy rules and sports dynamics, as it offers participants spaces to share game strategies, stay outdoor, eat healthy food, and practice the Italian language. We are also organizing bocce tournaments in other localities of the consular constituency of the Tri-State area. The winners of each bocce tournament will be invited to participate in a final to be held in the fall. We intend to bring our sports-for-fun programs in collaboration with Comites NY and other community associations to every neighborhood in New York City".

Leide Porcu, PhD, LP, Psychoanalyst who chairs the Comites’ ”Sport, Youth and Mental Health” commission, says: "the intention of Comites NY is to "continue to consolidate our fruitful collaboration with Coni Usa. As Community Outreach Commission, we promote events in line with the #WellnessProjects, i.e. those that integrate physical and mental health through recreational activities that include physical activity, but also community integration". Finally, the desire to "listen to our community as we welcome ideas to inspire our future projects."

The sport of Bocce - The United States Bocce Federation estimates that the athletes who play regularly are around one million three hundred thousand. The Italian Bocce Federation boasts about 100,000 members, with 45,000 competitors and about one million practitioners.

Coni Usa: It is the operational arm of CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) in the USA. Chaired by Mico Delianova Licastro, it was created in 2009 and has promoted the diffusion of competitive and recreational sport events in the Italian and Italian-American communities. It also organizes the participation of young Italian-American athletes and teams in Italian tournaments at the the Coni Summer Trophy and the Coni Winter Trophy for U14 athletes, formerly i Giochi della Gioventu’.

Comites NY: Established in 1985, the Comites (Comitato degli Italiani all’Estero) are representative bodies of the Italian community, elected directly by Italians residing abroad in each consular district where at least three thousand registered compatriots reside. The current Comites NY, elected in December 2021 and chaired by Alessandro Crocco, represents the italian communities of the States of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Bermuda in relations with the italian consulate in NY.

Thanks for their collaboration: The Scuola d’Italia G. Marconi , The New York Italian Women Association; The Federazione delle Associazioni della Campania USA;…list in formation…