Sports from Gran Canaria put away their shirts for a day to wear gala attire at the annual ‘Gran Canaria, Isla Europa del Deporte’ awards ceremony, which in its fifth edition hosted this Sunday, March 26, the Teatro Pérez Galdós de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in an act of distinction for the most outstanding figures and entities in 2022, with which the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, through the Insular Institute of Sports, recognizes the sporting achievements of its main figures and rewards associations, groups and athletes who promote sports practice in all sectors of society.
Effort, self-improvement, perseverance, equality, respect, sportsmanship, solidarity and camaraderie, were concepts highlighted by its protagonists as key factors in personal and collective success. The Gran Canaria Sports Festival had three different segments in the section on decorations. The insular administration wanted to recognize the outstanding athletes and entities by municipalities and jointly with the 21 municipalities of the Island, with representation of their mayors and/or councilors responsible for the sports area. The winners continued under the memory of the figure of Jesús Telo and the event closed with the six distinguished with the European Island of Sport award.
In this fifth edition, the Isla Europea del Deporte awards have gone to the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas (FEHT) for Private Sports Sponsorship; in the Bestial Race Series for being the Best Sports Event that has been held on the Island; in the Civitas Association for the Promotion and Equality in Competitive Sports; at the Las Palmas Swimming Club, for its Solidarity and its Values; in Santi Aldama as Revelation Athlete; and in the ex-politician and creator of the Insular Sports Institute of Gran Canaria, Gonzalo Ángulo as Honorary Award.
Sport can teach values such as fairness, teamwork, equality, discipline, inclusion, perseverance and respect. In his speech, Antonio Morales, president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, congratulated the winners for their successes, values and for, regardless of the color of the medals, becoming positive references for island society. In addition, he assured that the island administration maintains “an unwavering commitment to sport, being the main promoter and catalyst of the various disciplines that are practiced on the island. Whether through sports infrastructures, support for grassroots sports or support for elite clubs, without the insular institution in collaboration with the clubs and town halls, it would not be possible for Gran Canaria to have reached the levels of sporting excellence in which it is currently”.
The Minister of Sports, Francisco Castellano, congratulated the entire family of sports in Gran Canaria, beyond the 33 winners, and encouraged them to continue with an “exemplary” job to which they have tried to join from the Insular Institute so that Sports in Great Canaria “continue to enjoy good health and the greatest successes”. He highlighted that in 2019 the budget allocated only to grassroots sports, federations, clubs, nominated sporting events, individual athletes and other events of interest was more than 9 million euros and that in 2022 the item exceeded 18 million, of a total revenue of more than 57 million euros. “Let this serve as an example, more than double. But even so, we must not settle. We have to continue growing. Sport is no longer that. Now it is a fundamental, essential part of the life of any society that aspires to progress, to improve the quality of life of its citizens and Gran Canaria is clear about this.
For his part, Jesús Telo Rodríguez, son of the founder of the Las Palmas Gymnasium, organizer of the Blume Gymnastics Festival and promoter of various sports in Gran Canaria, including gymnastics, roller hockey and fencing, recalled that the honors They celebrate 63 editions, “they mark our indelible mark on the history of sport in Gran Canaria and we pay tribute to so many sporting feats based on effort and perseverance. Gran Canaria is the European island made to measure for athletes, it is a great gym for good weather where a multitude of athletes visit us to prepare and this sporting spirit places us at the Olympic level among the top five places in the national ranking with the highest number of Olympic gold medals.The gala presenter highlighted that the badge with the memory of the figure de Jesús Telo has the prestige of being the second oldest contest of this nature in Spain, only surpassed by the World o Deportivo, with 74 editions.
The 21 distinguished by the island’s municipal officials were: Elena Álamo González (Basketball), for Agaete; Claudia Cabrera Estévez (Weightlifting) by Agüimes; Marcos Oliver Díaz Santana (Engine) for Artenara; José Antonio and Aday Luján (Motor) for Arucas; Jonás Perdomo Déniz (Mountain races) by Firgas; Ian Sánchez Medina (Swimming) by Gáldar; Vanesa del Pino Sosa (Bodybuilding) for Ingenio; Tomás Ramírez García (Chess) for La Aldea de San Nicolás; Paco Sánchez Jover (Volleyball) for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; the Costa Mogán Futsal Club (Futsal) for Mogán; Club UD Moya (Football) for Moya: Enrique Mata Díaz (Swimming) for San Bartolomé de Tirajana; the Santa Brígida Basketball School (Basketball Base) by Santa Brígida; Basketball Santa Lucía Suresanta (Basketball Base) by Santa Lucía de Tirajana; Gustavo Dámaso Moreno (Volleyball) for Santa María de Guía; Veterans UD Tejeda (Soccer), by Tejeda; Óscar Pérez Cruz (Adapted Surfing) by Telde; Laura del Estal Hernández (Weightlifting) for Teror; the Almogarén Wrestling Club (Canary Wrestling) for Valsequillo; Aythami Navarro Pérez (Athletics), for Valleseco; and Pedro Vega Rodríguez (Soccer) for Vega de San Mateo.
The awards were presented by the mayors: Augusto Hidalgo, Maria del Carmen Rosario, Oscar Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez Rodriguez, Teodoro Sosa, Ana Hernandez, Tomas Perez, Raul Afonso, Miguel Jorge Blanco, Francisco Garcia Lopez, Pedro Manuel Rodriguez Perez, Francisco Juan Perera, Sergio Nuez, Francisco Atta and Antonio Jesus Ortega.
The ceremony, broadcast on TVE’s La2, presented by the TVE journalist Nayra Santana and the journalist and communication consultant, Juan Manuel Soto, featured several live performances on the Pérez Galdós stage, with a dance show performed by the dancers Sergio Pérez, Ángeles Perea, Abian Hernández and Andrea Pérez. It also featured the group’s epic ‘Masha’, who performed ‘Now We Are Free’ from the ‘Gladiator’ soundtrack, with Marisa Roda on cello and German Arias on piano.
The contest concluded with a photograph of the sports family in Gran Canaria, on the stage of Pérez Galdós, from the value of grassroots sport and the quarry of all sports modalities as a basic pillar that the Cabildo de Gran Canaria protects up to the figures of the most successful and internationally renowned athletes.
