There is deep discomfort within the organization of the popular annual judo concentration “Judokita”, which is being held this Saturday by the Judo Club El Bosque Sports Association in the municipal pavilion, as the facilities of the Inturjoven public hostel cannot be used, managed by the Junta de Andalucía. Apparently, the autonomous entity has allocated its use to refugees from the war in Ukraine, but with five days to go before the sporting event is held, the building for accommodation of the hundreds of participants who come to El Bosque and their families and companions remains completely closed pending the arrival of those displaced by the war in Ukraine and without being able to be used by the families of the 250 athletes who will come to the beautiful mountain town.
14 clubs from Cádiz, Seville, Málaga, Huelva and Córdoba participate in Judokita 2022, leaving a good number of sports entities unable to compete due to the low capacity of the municipal pavilion, which only has stands for about 200 spectators, so many of the people who accompany the judoka have to stay outside the facility.
The categories that this popular meeting hosts range from the little ones to the children, in ages ranging from four to 14 years. The exhibition will begin at 10:00 am and will end at approximately 1:30 pm. This year it has not been possible to carry out the Concentration due to the refusal of Inturjoven despite the fact that the reservation of the hostel had already been made well in advance. “It seems to us a plausible humanitarian initiative, but it is also true that they could have accommodated us and later the refugees”, comments Manuel Padilla, from the Judo Club El Bosque, very upset by the measure adopted by the public body “ because we have not been able to hold our Concentration while people are very excited after two years of hiatus due to Covid-19. The pre-registrations had been numerous and an extraordinary party was expected that had to be canceled due to an arrival of refugees that has not yet taken place. I want to think that this use will be given to it because otherwise we will believe that we have been deceived by the Board itself, ”reiterates the president of the Bosqueño judo club. “Not being able to use the hostel will cause many economic losses to the population because the parents of the athletes usually stay in hotel establishments in the town and in surrounding rural houses. They even spend the night in Arcos because El Bosque does not have enough places. It is an activity that has a very great influence on the economic and business fabric of the region and it is unfortunate that we have been left on one leg this year since we will only be able to celebrate the trophy”, laments Padilla, who adds that “the organization of An event of this importance requires up to five months of work and preparation. It is very sad that later they tell you no, knowing that the hostel was reserved and paid for since December of last year. They have given the refusal three months before the Concentration is held and in El Bosque there are no other facilities as magnificent as the hostel and the camp, without a doubt, one of the best in Andalusia and in which we had prepared a lot of recreational and recreational activities and a new approach for parents and athletes”, concludes the head of the El Bosque Judo Club and organizer of Judokita for more than 20 years.
