An evening dedicated to sports and the Italian community in the United States energized Los Angeles with the debut in the California city of the Italy–America All Star Game, the Italian American community basketball game, played for the first time at the Intuit Dome, the new arena of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Originally created as a gathering and celebration of the Italian American community, the Italy–America All Star Game has over the years evolved into an event capable of bringing together institutions, professionals, entrepreneurs, and figures from the cultural world, helping to strengthen ties between Italy and the United States through the universal language of sports.
Before the game, singer-songwriter Cristiano Cosa performed a medley of classic Italian singer-songwriter music that was warmly received by the audience.
Many personalities from the institutional and entertainment worlds attended the evening, including the Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles, Raffaella Valentini, Academy Award winner Jonathan Sanger, actress Cristiana Dell’Anna, singer Shelea, actor Jacopo Rampini, and Olympic champion Alessandro Campagna.
The Los Angeles stop, following the two previous editions organized in Detroit, holds particular significance. Beyond the sporting challenge on the court of an NBA arena, the event confirmed itself as an important networking opportunity among institutions, entrepreneurs, and professionals who work every day on cultural and creative projects between the two countries, in a city that represents one of the world’s major centers of the film industry.
“Events like this demonstrate how sports can be an extraordinary tool for connecting communities,” said Raffaella Valentini, Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles. “The Italy–America All Star Game represents a moment of gathering for the Italian American community and at the same time a valuable opportunity to strengthen dialogue between Italy and the United States, also through the worlds of culture, business, and the creative industries.”
Great satisfaction was also expressed by organizer Emanuele Scamardella, promoter of the initiative. “I am very proud to be here on the Los Angeles Clippers’ court during Oscar week. Right after the NBA game it was our turn to play. On the court there was a mix of Italians, Italian Americans, and Americans, all representing the same community. Our goal is to export this model of community built around sports and health. On this occasion, in fact, we also offered the community the opportunity to undergo free health screenings thanks to our collaboration with Campus Salute.”
The debut of the Italy–America All Star Game at the Intuit Dome therefore represents a new and meaningful step in strengthening the Italian and Italian American community in the United States, opening a new chapter in which sports once again confirm their central role in fostering dialogue and collaboration between the United States and Italy.
