The Círculo de Periodistas Deportivos de Chile recognized the young Antofagasta Alonso Medel Araya as the best badminton player in the country during this 2021, a distinction that considered the delivery of the traditional Golden Condor.
During the ceremony presided over by the Minister of Sports, Cecilia Pérez, the young member of the Promises Chile program was honored for his career and for his multiple sporting achievements, including being the only Chilean to represent his discipline in the Cali Pan American Games – Valle 2021 and in the International Mexican Badminton Challenge, an instance to which he was summoned by the world federation.
From Santiago – where he is studying civil industrial engineering at the Catholic University – Alonso expressed his joy at obtaining the award for the best of the Best 2021, stating that “I am very happy, content and grateful that the Círculo de Periodistas Deportivos I have been recognized as the best in badminton this year and also to add the gratitude to the IND for all the support they have given me during this period that has been very difficult for everyone, but we are already finishing and what better way than to do it this way ” .
Badminton coach and physical education teacher Susana Salinas has been Alonso’s coach since the beginning of her career 12 years ago. For this reason, he affirms that he has been “a fair winner, he is the best without a doubt, he is number 1 in Chile; I congratulate him and his family who have always been by his side, supporting him at all times ”.
Alonso began at the age of 9 in the badminton academy of Colegio San Luis de Antofagasta, after which he entered the Promesas Chile program dependent on Mindep-IND, being supported until today in his development process and high performance projection.
In this sense, the Regional Director of IND, Nellie Miranda Eldan, stated that “Alonso has been deserving of this relevant award not only for having competed this year, but also for the great trajectory that he has and this 2021 he has been able to demonstrate a once again his talent, his preparation, his work and how he has proudly represented the country in various international instances ”.
Let us specify that Alonso Medel has already started his preparation with a view to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, where he hopes to repeat the good sporting results that led him to be the best badminton player in Chile and to be among the top ranked worldwide.
