On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the City of Soignies, in partnership with Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles and four local teachers, organized a sports day dedicated to inclusion and education through sport. The event brought together nearly 430 primary school students from all schools in the Soignies area, as well as residents from the Centre Reine Fabiola.
Within the facilities of the Soignies Sports Hub, this initiative aimed to introduce young students to the fundamental values of sport at the beginning of the academic year. The program included the discovery of original team sports, emphasizing "fair play" and "doing things together" rather than pure competition.
This year, the City of Soignies particularly highlighted the importance of inclusion by inviting the Centre Reine Fabiola to participate in this day.
The success of this inter-school day is the result of close collaboration with several stakeholders: Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles (represented by Jennifer Thienpont and Eric Bauwens), teachers Yannick Duquesne, Boris Blommaert, Marc Menuge, and Johan Bruyndonckx, students from the Institut technique Saint-Vincent and their teacher Madame Brogniez, local sports clubs (hosted by Yves Calomme, Christophe Godart, and David Delferière), the participating schools, the Centre Reine Fabiola, and the Sports & Youth Service of the City of Soignies.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by the City of Soignies to promote "Fair Play" within its territory. This includes inviting Soignies associations and clubs to have players and parents sign Fair Play Charters at the start of the season, an annual sports day organized for nearly five years in collaboration with Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles, and highlighting these values during the "étoiles sonégiennes" (Soignies Stars) ceremonies and the "Panathlon Fair Play Awards".
The City of Soignies has indeed been recognized for its efforts, receiving the Fair Play award in 2024 and being selected as a laureate for the European Fair Play Awards 2025 by the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM) for its initiatives promoting ethics, respect, and inclusion in sports.
