Davide Tizzano served within the ICMG with exceptional dedication and responsibility, investing great efforts in promoting the values of the Mediterranean Games, the ideals of peace and cooperation through sport, and the unity of the peoples of the Mediterranean. His commitment and contribution left a profound mark on the Mediterranean movement, strengthening its prospects for continuity and a better future. He worked for the ICMG continuously for 12 years and was a member of the Executive Committee from 2013 to 2021, when he was elected President of the ICMG.
In his sporting career, Tizzano was a two-time Olympic champion in rowing, winning gold in the quadruple sculls at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and another gold medal in the double sculls at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games (together with Agostino Abbagnale). Between 1984 and 2005, he won the Italian national championship title 17 times and also claimed world championship titles in rowing (1986) and sailing (1993). He also competed in the prestigious America’s Cup in 1992 and 2007.
The death of Davide Tizzano has caused deep sorrow in Naples and within Italian sporting circles. The President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio, briefly stated that they had lost a great champion and a great leader.
The International Committee of the Mediterranean Games expressed its deepest condolences to his family, as well as to all those who had the honor of knowing him and working with him.
The President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, and the Secretary General, Siniša Krajač, also expressed their deepest condolences to the family of Davide Tizzano, as well as to the entire Mediterranean movement that he led:
Dear members of the Tizzano family,
dear friends from the ICMG,
With great sadness, we received the news of the passing of the leader of the Mediterranean movement, who through his sporting charisma and leadership abilities brought new energy to the idea of bringing together Mediterranean countries and fostering youth interaction through peaceful sporting competitions. With his departure, we have also lost a true friend. In these moments of irreparable loss, please accept the expressions of our deepest condolences, both personally and on behalf of the Croatian Olympic family.
