Cipriani attended the Colegio Santa Maria Marianistas, a Catholic school, and as a young man he was a member of the Peruvian national basketball team for six years.
Kardinal Cipriani masuk Colegio Santa Maria Marianistas, sebuah sekolah Katolik, dan pada masa mudanya, ia menjadi anggota tim basket nasional Peru selama enam tahun.