Stefano Podini Reaffirms FIGH Vision: 'High-Level Competition Requires a Professional Mindset Before Numbers'

Following the Mediterranean Games Taranto2026, Learning from Winning Disciplines Is Key to Transformation the Italian Handball Federation (FIGH).

TARANTO, ITALY, ITALY, September 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- More than a competitive showcase, the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games served as a genuine laboratory for cultural transformation. The event marked a critical milestone for the Italian Handball Federation (FIGH). For Federation President Stefano Podini, "the experience provided the decisive momentum required to accelerate a shift in mindset across the entire movement—including athletes, coaches, executives, clubs, and families".

Learning from Winning Disciplines The core value of the Taranto experience lay in sharing environments and routines with the elite of Italian sports, from fencing and swimming to canoeing. This rich culture of high performance is an asset from which handball intends to draw heavily.

"When you closely observe disciplines that have consistently won at the highest levels for decades, you must have the humility to ask what you can learn," stated President Stefano Podini. "Behind those successes lies not just talent, but professionalism, discipline, organization, and a winning mindset. Taranto was a laboratory for us: the goal is not to copy other sports, but to understand their deep cultural mechanisms. We must identify which habits and approaches turn a good athlete into an international-caliber competitor."

From Tools to Mindset: Professionalism in the Mind The core of the FIGH leadership's vision centers on the relationship between resources and attitude. Alongside federal investments in technology, facilities, athletic preparation, and education, Podini emphasized the necessity of a qualitative shift in mindset.

"We can equip ourselves with the finest professional tools," Podini continued, "but they are meaningless if we continue to use them with an amateur mindset. Even before numbers and contracts, professionalism is a way of thinking, training, and taking responsibility."

Technical Leadership: Hanning and Albertsen Driving Cultural Shift This strategic direction is directly reflected in the leadership of the Italian national teams. The decision to entrust the men's national team to Germany’s Bob Hanning and the women's national team to Denmark’s Martin Fruelund Albertsen forms a deliberate strategy led by the presidency.

These internationally renowned coaches were selected not only for their tactical expertise, but for their ability to instill a rigorous methodological approach. In Taranto, their impact was clearly visible, emphasizing individual responsibility, pressure management, and pride in representing the national team.

The path forged in Taranto establishes a clear new direction for the FIGH—one where technical evolution advances hand in hand with the maturation of a true sporting culture.

About the Italian Handball Federation (FIGH) The Federazione Italiana Giuoco Handball (FIGH) is the governing body for handball and beach handball in Italy, dedicated to developing the sport from grassroots initiatives to international elite competition.
https://www.federhandball.it/

francesca schenetti
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