“Olympic sport should be a priority” | Dialogue with Ariel Suárez, the rower who praised Milei and now questions her lack of interest in sports

Four months before the Olympic Games that will take place in Paris, national athletes are choosing different strategies to be able to attend their commitments in South American competitions. Social networks have become large collections and there is no Santiago Maratea that is enough to respond to the budget cuts that Javier Milei’s government is carrying out.

Ariel Suarez, gold in the 2011 Pan American Games, fourth in the 2012 London Olympic Games and a diploma of merit at the Konex Awards for his performance in canoeing and rowing, has recently been active on his networks due to the situation that afflicts the sport. national and the country in general. “I understand that there is no Silver, Javier Milei. But I do not understand and I feel that it is a lack of respect for all national sports that we do not have a strategy or plan to follow. Even the undersecretary in sports is missing. Not everything is SAD, there is a Olympic sport out there,” was one of his tweets in mid-February.

“Rowing is my passion,” he says on his Twitter profile. Suarez raised his name in 2020 for breaking the pandemic confinement to go train in Tigre. “Why do they enable sports like soccer, where there is contact, while I can’t practice and I’m alone in the boat,” had been his complaint at that time. From that action he became close to Patricia Bullrich and supported Milei’s presidential campaign. “LONG LIVE FREEDOM FUCK!!! Proud to have the balls that no one had to fight for our freedom and for all sports,” he tweeted on December 8. Just over 70 days into the administration led by Milei, the current president’s sports policies do not seem to reflect what was expected. In the midst of trips and meetings, the rower answered some questions to Página/12 and reflected on the situation of sport in Argentina.

–Why isn’t Olympic sport taken into account when it comes to political efforts?

–Unfortunately, it is not taken into account as a short and long-term investment for the entire society. Politically it does not attract many votes and they make it look like an expense, this lowers the interest of politicians when it comes to implementing a more sports policy.

–The lack of scholarships, or the reduction of that income, means that athletes must supplement their income with another activity. Are you surprised that this is happening?

–I don’t think there is a lack of scholarships, in this case specific cases would have to be analyzed, but I am aware that the scholarships are extremely low and, like everyone else, inflation left them at the bottom added to the fact that athletes do not usually complain for several reasons. All of this is just the right combination for them to end up looking for other activities to survive. Let’s understand something very important, an athlete is not a normal person: he works with his body and always has to take it to the maximum. He has to be there 24/7 to exploit his capabilities. This makes him need to eat differently, rest differently. His health, in short, his life is different and this is more expensive.

–Whoever takes the reins of national sport, what measures should he take as a first instance of mandate?

–First evaluate the state you are in and what needs you have, form a competent work team, put together an action plan, and take it forward by implementing the necessary changes and reassess. Nowadays, use your imagination a lot, transform the lack of money into management of the resources you have at hand.

–Are sports corporations the only agenda that matters for Javier Milei? Because?

–I want to believe not, but that’s what it seems so far. I am neither for nor against. I’m just in favor of priorities and, right now, Olympic sport should be a priority.

–Did silver take precedence over competition and winning medals?

–Money was put above everything and they cannot or do not want to see that now without money, management, work and policies that use resources without the need for so much money are necessary.

–Do the athletes who are going to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics end up having less and less opportunity for development?

–Those classified for Paris will have what they need for that specific competition. The issue is the rest, there are many who have a chance of qualifying and that support is becoming difficult. Let’s think about the day after Paris where sport disappears from the media. Let’s think about the rest of the athletes who remain in the way of an Olympic game. Let’s think about those kids who today don’t see sport as a social outlet and end up taking to the streets. Let’s think about our children who are the future of our country.

–What future do you see for national sport?

–In order to evolve and improve the sport there has to be a change of course. Obviously we are in this situation due to lack of political interest. If we continue along this line we will have the same result. Until a national strategic plan is put together, bringing together all the political parties and carrying it forward, whoever is the head, we are going to go straight to total decline.

2024-03-07 15:44:10
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