The National junior basketball team gives life to the Palacio de los Deportes

The Spanish Junior Championship held for almost two weeks at the Palacio de los Deportes has given new life to the Granada facility, which is 30 years old since its construction. A moment of impulse and fresh air to the sport with quarry basketball, which brings the main pavilion of the city out of general paralysis –except for the Covirán de LEB Oro matches– due to the pandemic.

The tournament was classified as a successful team participation, plus the visitors they brought and, in addition, the presence of the public, despite the restrictions of the health authorities up to a thousand people with a capacity allowed in the Palace; The first phase was also played in the Veleta and Universiada pavilions in Fuentenueva. Both the organization and the participants showed their satisfaction.

The turnover in the hotels for the overnight stays of the enrollees is estimated at around 250,000 euros. The famous returns that municipal officials talk about, happy because an event like the junior has little cost and is very far from the millionaire fee that has to be paid to host appointments, like previous ones that have occurred in the city, of the Mundobasket or Eurobasket. The City Council estimates that the benefits exceed the expenses and that the tournament has a positive impact on Granada society, as it has its own sponsors managed through Gegsa.

Other sporting events are being prepared for 2022 because, without an audience, it is difficult to attend to the numerous offers, according to Carlos Díaz, Gegsa’s managing director. Despite the limited capacity, there are almost twenty concerts closed for the month of September. We must wait for the situation with the vaccines to normalize. A trial of the World Trial is scheduled for 2022 and “activity will recover later, we will fight for it”, explains Díaz.

Among the projects are the final of the Copa del Rey rugby, which would take place in Nuevo Los Cármenes, and the Final a Eight of futsal. However, he clarifies that “there is neither money nor is it convenient to make high expenses that lead us to go into debt.”

Covirán’s rise to the ACB would have been a ‘hot potato’. For the City Council it would mean a greater help to the club, although they would be happy because “there would be 17 guaranteed show appointments with home games.” To this would be incorporated reforms and improvements in the installation, video scoreboards and modern infrastructures that, according to Díaz, “are necessary after our Palace is 30 years old.”

Regarding women’s basketball, which went up to the new Challenger and does not have an installation with parquet and fixed baskets, Díaz understands that “a solution will be given.” The field of the Veleta pavilion is used by the CB Granada Foundation for the subsidiaries and, in addition, it will have many training sessions there due to the September concerts. Although, Díaz assures that “there will be no problems, I think, for Raca to play there even if he trains elsewhere, he would adjust.”

The Palace is understood to be “the jewel in the crown” and Díaz does not see it logical to open the doors for a scarce presence in the stands. Granada, therefore, shares, would need to have an intermediate capacity pavilion, around 3,000 spectators, which could host events such as women’s basketball or futsal. The leader estimates that there are many sports that miss that track and that Granada should aspire, like other Spanish cities, to complementary pavilions.

Hand in hand

Another issue is that football and basketball are not seen as enemies, even that they join forces and shake hands, as happens in Valladolid. Díaz understands that Granada CF’s television revenues are much higher, “the audience and smaller sponsorships in basketball”, but that a link between both entities would be “very positive” for local sport in general. Help each other.

Of the junior championship, I would highlight that “we have seen players like Usman Garuba’s brother, many with a future ACB and perhaps some even the NBA.” The predominance of foreigners draws attention but Díaz admits it, “because the clubs look for the best in the training stage and who have more possibilities to jump to the first teams.” Although he believes that “part of the romanticism is lost, it is true, but the tournament grows and takes a tremendous leap in quality as well.”

He also stressed that “the competition system accommodates itself” to the difference between the most powerful clubs and other more modest ones, such as Andújar, which surprised by going very far, so that there are not very bulky markers.

Carlos Díaz has finally been able to enjoy his first ‘work’ since he joined Gegsa, because he did so in 2019 after a position that remained vacant for seven years after the resignation of Francisco Barranco, and he promises that he will “recover the activity with humility and tenacity ». Díaz highlights that “I came to the position because of my commercial experience in clubs like CB Granada and Málaga, to manage with private capital and at no cost to the citizen.”

The covid has prevented more activity in a Palace that recovers its breath after 30 years of existence and that needs events to feel useful.