Zanzibar Cup 2026: Race for peace, fellowship and fraternity

Vatican News

For more than a decade, Italian physician Dr. Stefano Conte has traveled regularly to Zanzibar, where he first worked as a medical doctor serving both local residents and visitors. What began as a “working holiday” in 2010 soon became a long-term commitment. While providing medical care in local communities free of charge, Conte also pursued his passion for kitesurfing, a sport for which Zanzibar’s warm waters, steady winds, and protected coral reef barriers create ideal conditions.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, he explained how over the years he began asking himself how he could contribute beyond his service as a medical doctor. His answer was the Zanzibar Cup, an international kitesurfing competition designed not only to showcase the island as a world-class sporting destination but also to generate opportunities for the local community through tourism and international cooperation.

Zanzibar Cup kitesurfing race and regatta   (Photo credit: Stefano Conte)

From a dream to a reality

Drawing on his experience as a long-time member of the Italian Sailing Federation and his professional background, Conte proposed organizing Zanzibar’s first international kitesurfing competition. The local government embraced the idea, becoming a partner in the project. The inaugural event, first held in January 2024, attracted around 20 competitors and a single sponsor. Since then, the competition has grown steadily, now welcoming 40–50 athletes and 10–15 sponsors, with increasing international visibility.

Sportsmanship and fellowship

For Conte, the Zanzibar Cup is more than just a competition on water. He sees sport as a universal language capable of bringing people together in fellowship and of helping appreciate the richness and variety of different cultures and backgrounds. Inspired by the messages of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, he has also aimed to shape the event around values of peace, fraternity, respect, and solidarity. Beyond organizing the sporting event, he hopes to create an opportunity that encourages people to see one another as brothers and sisters rather than rivals. His guiding principle is simple: “Love your brothers and sisters as you would like them to love you.” Dr. Conte believes that if more people embraced this basic idea, the world would become a more peaceful place.

Zanzibar Cup kitesurfing race and regatta   (Photo credit: Stefano Conte)

Sports as a teacher

Reflecting on the lessons sports activities can teach us, Dr. Conte highlighted discipline, respect for rules, perseverance, and humility. Drawing on his years working in pediatric cardiac surgery, he recalls that the greatest surgeons he met were also the humblest. In his experience, genuine expertise speaks for itself, while arrogance often masks insecurity. He argues that today’s world needs more authenticity and less superficiality, believing that competence and integrity ultimately prevail over appearances.

Zanzibar Cup kitesurfing race and regatta   (Photo credit: Stefano Conte)

The uniquness of kitesurfing

Kitesurfing combines elements of surfing and sailing. Riders stand on a board while being pulled by a large controllable kite flying approximately 20 meters overhead. Although it can be dangerous if practiced improperly, Conte stresses that it is very safe when learned with qualified instructors in suitable locations. He has personally taught beginners ranging from children as young as seven or eight years old to adults in their seventies.

The Sixth Zanzibar Cup

The sixth edition of the Zanzibar Cup will take place on August 23rd on Zanzibar’s eastern coast, at Kiwengwa, an area renowned for its consistent winds and excellent kitesurfing conditions. Dr. Conte hopes the Zanzibar Cup will continue to grow into a major international sporting event while remaining true to its original mission: using sport to build bridges between people.

Zanzibar Cup kitesurfing race and regatta

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The event’s motto captures that spirit: “One for all, all for one.” For Conte, this is more than a slogan—it reflects his belief that everyone has a responsibility to help others and work together toward a more peaceful and united world.