It’s half past six in the morning and Jorge Sharp is already in the Plaza La Conquista del Cerro Los Placeres. A group of young people, who practice basketball every day, are no longer surprised. The mayor of Valparaíso, reelected with more than 56 percent of the votes, came to train that same sport more than a year ago: “I understood that if I did not resume the activity, life would be heavier”, says the mayor in dialogue with AS. He is the sportiest face of Sharp, the political leader who follows the NBA, who does not miss a Red game and who questions the role of public limited companies in Chilean football. Especially that of Santiago Wanderers.
“Since I was a kid I was a basketball fan. I really liked watching the games that were broadcast. From then on, when I was in the first half, I was enrolling in different clubs in Punta Arenas (his city of origin). I started playing non-stop. It is a sport that I carry in my heart, “says Jorge Sharp. The current communal chief has already set a goal for his second term: he wants to make Valparaíso the capital of basketball in Chile.
– How often do you practice?
– I had left basketball for the municipal work, but I took up a year ago, both in the morning and in the afternoon. I had never dared to play sports in the early morning, but I tried it because of the time slot. The change in my daily life has been tremendous, because I start the day with a lot of energy. It has allowed me to create a habit, which has helped me activate the body. On the weekends I stay to train until ten in the morning, and in the week, until eight, because afterwards I have to go to the municipality to work. Basketball is to go crazy, but you have to control yourself too (laughs).
– What do the neighbors tell you?
– There are some ‘goats’ and ‘goats’ from Buenos Aires who have received me in a good way. They never imagined that the mayor of Valparaíso was going to play with them, and they called me ‘Don Jorge’, ‘Uncle Sharp’ or ‘Uncle Mayor’, but they got loose and now they call me ‘Jorge’. There is a very nice community. They play in clubs in Valparaíso and they have allowed me to activate my desire, refresh my fundamentals and play in teams of five. They treat me with great respect and affection.
Sharp’s Favorite Team: Portland Trail Blazers
“I have memories of 1997 or 1998, with the final of (Michael) Jordan against the Jazz, but when I followed the NBA most intensely was in the 2000 season. Portland hired Scottie Pippen, who is my favorite player in history, And he put together a very good team. I had one of my best friends, who was a Lakers fan. Then a rivalry developed, because both teams played the final of the Conference. They won 4-3. It was terrible. mockery to this day … it was a game we had to win because we were 14 points up. They turned it around with Shaquille O’Neal (laughs) “
– What other sports have you practiced in your life?
– I played soccer, like many in high school. He was a goalkeeper in the championships (laughs) … but I’m a basketball player. It is the sport that I like the most, because it is beautiful, of strategy, of teamwork, and where you can develop a specific quality that is complemented by the rest of your teammates. I played defense, so the coaches would put me to mark the rivals. It was heavy and crafty to deconcentrate them (laughs).
– In 2017, under his administration, the school league returned. And in the summer the Pancho Cup is held. Is your idea to promote basketball in the zone?
– Yes, because we want to show that sport in Valparaíso is not just football. There are more disciplines. My dream is to make Valparaíso the basketball capital of Chile, as it was in the 80s. There are conditions to do so: we have many sports clubs, there is a long tradition, there are excellent young leaders, there are very good players and players. One of the themes that I want to develop in my administration is the activity of basketball in the hills of Valparaíso. We have to invest in infrastructure and in support of the clubs.
His relationship with a La Roja player
– Tomás Vodanovic, the new mayor of Maipú, said that he blocks the Catholic University matches from his calendar. Do you do it too?
– (Laughs) Yes, when the National Team (soccer) plays, I block everything like two hours before. This practice is essential … a duty (laughs). The NBA games are later, so I can watch them without a problem. And Wanderers? I also see them all. We just lost the Buenos Aires classic and I’m angry …
– About the Selection. What did you think of the summons of the wandering Eugenio Mena?
– Hold the ‘keno’! I have had the opportunity to talk with him through social networks. It has a great level. What he’s doing in Racing is tremendous, and I think he’s the best left-back Chile has. I hope that (Martín) Lasarte will start him against Argentina, because he knows the medium. I have a lot of respect for (Jean) Beausejour, but I think Mena is a few steps ahead. He has a good physical background and does not get tired. For a side it is essential.
– What are you talking about with Mena?
– I am going to confide that I asked him about the Englishman (Ben Brereton) who made it to the National Team. I told him that I hope he scores goals, if that’s what they brought him for (laughs). I wish Eugenio the best, because he is very aware of what is happening in Valparaíso. He’s engaged and he asks me about the city. He’s a great guy, because he’s also a hill player. We were good vibes and I wished him the best.
Sharp’s Annoyance by Santiago Wanderers
– Let’s go back to Wanderers. Why is he angry?
– This club does not deserve to be in the last place of the table, for its history, for its quarry and for the fans. Today we have good players, like (Mauricio) Viana, (Francisco) Alarcón, (Marco) Medel or Daniel González, who I love how he plays. This Public Limited Company does not have a sports project, nor does it have any interest in having it. When Wanderers lose, Valparaíso loses.
– There are other mayors, like Daniel Jadue, who have also been critical of the privatization of football and the distribution of money from television …
– The privatization of football was a very coldly designed strategy, even before the public limited companies appeared. This begins when public television is marginalized from broadcasting. Attempts were made to transform fans into customers. Many who were grouped into corporations, such as Santiago Wanderers, who have been fighting for years to regain the public character of football. As its president Mario Oyer says, “football is a social activity.” The focus should be completely different. An indispensable fight is to recover the clubs as sports, social, cultural and training projects. Corporations are after profit, and it is clear what happens at Wanderers. The climate of change that exists in Chile must reach football.
– Wanderers had announced that they would return the club to the members …
– From said to fact there is a long way. I am not very clear if behind that announcement there is a genuine will to advance in the direction indicated. We have seen absolutely nothing. For history and respect for the Wandering people, the corporation must leave Santiago Wanderers. You have to return the club to the Corporation, under a city-wide process. As long as there is no progress in that sense, it seems to me that it is smoke.
– And what changes are needed in sport in general?
– Chile deserves a revolution in sports. Today national policies are aimed at promoting certain sports activities and certain elite athletes. We need a policy from below, from every neighborhood in Chile. In every neighborhood of the country there are soccer players, basketball players, volleyball players and young people with immense abilities. Not all of them are going to become elite athletes, but that is not the goal. It is developing a way of life around what physical activity and recreation entail. Thus, we are going to be a happier, less violent, healthier and more organized society. It is a complete change.
– Is there more connection between the municipalities and the central government?
– Yes, a more coordinated work is required between national and municipal authorities and the leaders of the different sports organizations. This coordination today is mediated by politics and not by a State policy that puts sports activity ahead, beyond differences. It is not enough to have more infrastructure, it requires a policy of empowerment, collective work and accompaniment.
– In what sense?
– For example, some may believe that the construction of a multi-court can solve the problems of a neighborhood, but if that court was not built by talking to people and involving them in decision-making, that court will end up broken, destroyed or grated. Just as important as building sports infrastructure is the process that allows you to get there. It has to be participatory. When you involve the community, the world of sports, you only get one result: you win.
