The charge of the volunteers for the 2026 Olympic Games begins and comes the affectionate embrace of Jannik Sinner, new ambassador of the Milan-Cortina “Team26” program and face of the communication campaign “The Games are us”: “Without them, the Games do not exist, even in tennis. For them, we are idols and important ideas for their growth, and it is right to make them understand that their work is important.
Those of the number one in tennis are not just words but a gratitude given by example: everyone remembers the image of Sinner holding the umbrella to the young baller in the rain of Indian Wells. “The choice of Sinner is logical – underlines Giovanni Malagò, president of Coni and of the Milan-Cortina Foundation -. He is a person who has reached the top of the world, of our country. We are all proud that he is Italian. Sinner is a figure who certainly gives the idea of will, unity, enthusiasm, all those that are the characteristics of volunteers”.
Around 18,000 volunteers are expected for the event and as of today, applications can be submitted online, only on the website. milanocortina2026.org: the only requirements are to be 18 years old on 1 November 2025, to know Italian and/or English, to participate in the selection and training events and to guarantee a minimum availability of nine non-consecutive days during the Games. “This project has a dual nature – underlines the Minister of Sports and Youth, Andrea Abodi -: on the one hand it becomes a messenger of the values of sport, on the other, it becomes a living representation of the passion and enthusiasm with which Italians they will welcome the whole world with open arms. Volunteers will be involved in the competition venues and in all official sites, such as the athletes' villages, the main media centre, railway stations and airports.
“The Olympic Games – Sinner notes – were for me the biggest goal of this year, but unfortunately I couldn't go. But they remain the most important event for every athlete”. Sinner, a former promising skier, does not hide his desire to participate in one way or another: “Am I the torchbearer of Milan-Cortina 2026? I would like to be but these are questions that we cannot answer yet. Sport has given me so much, I have not yet received the adrenaline that skiing has given me from other things. I have a great bond with winter. I would like to see the giant, the downhill but only from the outside because, when I was skiing, I was… I'm afraid.” So much so that he jokingly refuses the invitation to lead the way on the Stelvio.
