ROME - The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) confirmed on Friday that there will be a minute's silence before all sporting events this weekend for the hundreds of refugees who died off the Italian coast.

The CONI President Giovanni Malago said that all sporting occasions  including all 10 Serie A games  will have to observe a minute's silence 'in memory of the victims of the tragedy'.

At least 137 migrants have died at the tragedy this week after their boat caught fire and capsized off the coast of Italian island Lampedusa.