COne of 50 children from Bucaramanga went from training on the banks of the mighty and polluted waters of the Oro River, to a professional setting for the practice of Greco-Roman wrestling.
For about a year, between January and December of this 2021, about fifty children from the Galán neighborhood of Bucaramanga trained and learned the techniques of the Olympic fight in a stage built with and on the sand that drags the river of Oro, the main tributary of the metropolitan area.
With his battle phrase, “here you fight”, the children were forged in this sport, and under the guidance of Professor Charles González, in a place that was previously a garbage dump, with a pick, shovel and sifter they cleaned the stage, They adapted it and earned the space and respect of the community that approved their sports initiative.
Through the dusty streets of this neighborhood they were seen running, at least three times a week, the little warriors who ran in a hurry to their training sessions and who, with more resourcefulness than resources, adapted an Olympic fight scenario, on the edge of the river.
However, this Wednesday, December 29, the little ones received a gift before the end of the year. The Government of Santander, through the Indersantander, gave them the pedana, which is the canvas that is used in international fighting competitions and that replaces the sifted earth in which the minors made their demolitions.
A new year gift
In this sense, the director of Indersantander, Pedro Carrillo, affirmed that “efforts of the Government of Santander, MinDeporte, Indersantander, Office of the Social Manager of Santander and Centroabastos were articulated to support these children who want to fight, who want to get ahead in the sport of fighting ”.
Carrillo said that last September the Santander social manager, Genny Sarmiento, “brought gifts, trusses, boots and sports equipment to the children … on that same occasion, through the Semillas de Ilusión foundation, we got a place to train in Centroabastos. This December 29, together with Governor Mauricio Aguilar, we delivered official competition uniforms, the canvas and the hiring of coaches to continue leading the fighting program. ”
For his part, the manager of this idea, Professor Charles González, a fighter who has been passionate about this discipline since he was 14 years old and who decided to transmit what he learned to his students, stated that “this is the continuation of a dream that has become fulfilled, to have a place to be able to prepare the children to be great fighters, to be able to go to compete. We no longer fear excuses to become the best. Behind those trusses, that mat, are all the dreams of these children ”.
For its part, Santander’s social manager, Genny Sarmiento, highlighted that “Olympic wrestling is an innovative discipline that encourages children and young people to focus on activities that enhance personal development such as self-esteem, self-control and social skills of cooperation, respect and care of the other ”.
Sarmiento Díaz said that the idea is to support these “children who are in a context of vulnerability.”
This dedicated work has already paid off. One of the river fighters, Deimar Correa, wore gold on October 2 and was crowned national wrestling champion in the 41 kilogram category in La Ceja, Antioquia. “Graciously you received and gracefully you give” is the premise of Professor Charles, who assured that his greatest satisfaction is “to train children in struggle, in values, in the experience of sport, that they contribute tomorrow to the society and be champions, with that I am truly happy because it is what I want ”.
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