Former basketball player and member of the Commission of Athletes of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Pau Gasol has supported the decision of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) to withdraw the Spanish candidacy to host the 2030 Winter Games, a project that, in his opinion, has become politicized.
In statements to Efe coinciding with the presentation of the Pau Gasol Academy by Santanderthe former Olympic athlete has lamented “the differences” with the Government of Aragon which, as he specified, have meant that the candidacy has not been able to advance.
“In the end, when you present a joint candidacy, of union, which has a clear message and that union is not reflected from the presidency of Aragondifferences are created and a candidacy is politicized, (it) falls”, has affirmed
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In this regard, he praised the final decision of the Spanish Olympic Committee: “It seems to me a very wise decision of the COE, of Alexander White and of all the members in the face of saying: not like that, let’s see if we can do it in another way”.
Later, at the press conference to present the academy, Gasol praised the “exemplary behaviour” of Catalonia in the negotiation for the Spanish candidacy to choose to organize the 2030 Games.
“Catalonia has had an exemplary behavior, of which I am proud, the other party has not followed the same line and the candidacy, as it was prepared, falls”, he added.
[+] Watch the full interview with Pau here:
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The statements of the member of the IOC Athletes Commission occur one day after the COE has decided to withdraw the candidacy of the Pyrenees given the impossibility of putting Aragon and Catalonia in agreement to present a joint project.
This same Wednesday the president of the COE, Alejandro Blancohas accused the President of Aragon, Javier Lambán, of lying and “not respecting” the technical agreement that had been reached to present the Pyrenees’ candidacy for the 2030 Games.
