For the first time after 7 editions, the annual PCSC Meeting left the CISM HQ in Brussels to be held at the famous “Fiamme Gialle” Sports center in Rome, at the CISM President’s Office. This meeting was co-organized by the CISM HQ in Brussels and the CISM President’s Office to offer to the participants the most favourable conditions to a successful meeting. During the suggestive Opening Ceremony held by the Auditorium of the “Guardia di Finanza” Academy  in Rome, Gen. Gianni Gola, welcomed the presidents of the CISM sports committees and thanked the many civilian and military authorities attending, among whom, Mrs Rossana Ciuffetti from the Italian National Olympic Committee and Brig. Antonio Rossi, one of the best known military athletes.

Gen. Gola welcomed also the many cadets in plateau and referred to them stressing the importance of military sport as a vehicle of friendship among the Armed Forces of all the 131 CISM member countries and illustrating the main events in CISM history.

Part of the ceremony has also included the presentation, to a very interested audience, of the main forthcoming international events such as the Winter Military World Games in Italy, the first edition of the CISM Cadets Games in Turkey and the Military World Games in Rio on 2011.

After the Opening Ceremony a two days of intensive working sessions started with the discussion of all the most significant issues concerning CISM 24 Sports between the CISM President, BGen Gianni Gola, the CISM Secretary General, Col Morisod, the CISM Sports Director, Lt-Col Tkavc, and her deputy, Lt-Cdr Botsas, the CISM Executive Manager, Mr. Olivier Verhelle and the 20 present PCSC. The Organizing Committee of the CISM Military World Games 2011 in Rio had made the trip to present the ongoing preparation of the Games, and, above all, to finalize all the different technical details of the sports regulations and competition formats that will be used in Rio in 2011.

Starting with the approaching first edition of the first CISM Winter Military World Games, the PCSC could review and update the calendars 2010, 2011 and 2012 to improve the planning of the CISM activities.

All the participants were also the witnesses of a historic moment in CISM, the launching of the first edition of the CISM World Cadet Games in Turkey this month of October. The Turkish Delegation presented the project to the concerned authorities of CISM who immediately shared their enthusiasm for this new area of competition of CISM.

During the working session there was also the possibility to hear very interesting presentations by Col. Nylander, Vice President for Europe, and by the two delegations from Brazil and Turkey illustrating the updated progresses in the organization of the 5 MWG in Rio 2011 and the Cadet Games in Ankara 2010.

The next meeting of our best CISM Sports experts will be in Rio de Janeiro, in the framework of the 65th CISM General Assembly and Congress with a total focus on the preparation of the 5th CISM Military World Games.