On Saturday, May 4, Ávila has an appointment with the School Games. The walled city has been chosen by the Government of Castilla y León, through the General Directorate of Sports, to host the finals of the individual sports of these training championships. Specifically, in the capital of Avila, the athletics, rescue and lifeguard, badminton, table tennis and chess competitions will be closed, which will lead to the visit of 1,206 participants (around 1,450 people including companions and family members) from the nine Castilian-Leonese provinces.
The general director of Sports, Enrique Sánchez-Guijo, has traveled to the Territorial Delegation of the Board in Ávila to present this sports day. He was accompanied at the presentation by the territorial delegate, José Francisco Hernández, the deputy mayor of Employment, Industry, Commerce, Tourism, Education, Culture, Sports and Festivals, Sonsoles Prieto, the provincial director of Education, Laura Martín, and the head of the Territorial Service of Culture and Tourism, Alejandro Núñez, in addition to the representatives of the federations of the disciplines in contention. “Ávila, in addition to being a World Heritage City, should also be a City of Sports,” wished Hernández, who assured that children who are related to sports activity cause “a better society and future for Ávila, for Castilla. and León and for Spain.
Sonsoles Prieto, as a representative of the local City Council, a collaborating entity of the activity, has stated that it is important to “encourage and promote a competition for the little ones so that they can live and enjoy sport in favor of leaving aside other activities that are less beneficial for them.” . The City Council will provide the municipal facilities necessary to hold the final series of the School Games tournaments, which have had a total participation of more than 150,000 students from Castilla y León. «Tourism and sports go hand in hand in Ávila. Its altitude, its hours of sunshine and the different routes make it a favorable city for sports tourism,” Prieto stated in reference to the visitors expected thanks to this event.
The general director of Sports, Enrique Sánchez-Guijo, maintains that “the jewel in the crown” of his department are the School Games, not only for the quantitative aspect, but also for the qualitative aspect. «Linking sport with the education of our young people is, without a doubt, the best thing we can do. There is no point in sport at such an early age other than through the training of people,” he argued. Sánchez-Guijo recalled that, in his two years in office, they have increased the budget for sports by 40%, which “compared to other areas seems like a lot, but for what we need and believe sport should be, it is bit”. And he also made it clear that “Ávila is one of the priorities within the General Directorate of Sports.”
On May 4, the finals of the individual sports of the School Games will be held in Ávila. But not all. In the case of climbing and orientation, they will be carried out in other locations due to the impossibility of being able to do it in the capital of Avila. These specific sports will take place at the Álvaro Paredes Izquierdo Municipal Climbing Wall in Valladolid and in the Valladolid town of Traspinedo, respectively. The Avila sports facilities that will host the rest of the finals will be the Ciudad Deportiva track (athletics), the Ciudad Deportiva indoor pool (rescue and lifeguard), the Carlos Sastre Pavilion (badminton and table tennis) and the CEIP Arturo Duperier (chess).
As for the ages of the young participants, they will vary between 19 and 15 years old. To be specified, in chess those born between 2010 and 2013 will participate in the mixed category; In track athletics they will be divided into children’s categories (from 2011 to 2013) and cadet (2009 to 2010); In badmiton, those born between 2010 and 2012 will participate; in rescue and lifesaving, those born between 2010 and 2013 will do so; and in table tennis, those born from 2010 to 2012 will do so. All events that take place in Ávila will be in the morning (climbing and orientation will also be extended to the afternoon).
This is an opportunity for the city of the Wall to demonstrate its organizational capacity for sporting events and to revitalize its infrastructure. However, it will be the epicenter of sport in Castilla y León during a day of training and fun. It must be up to the task and not fail on such a special occasion.
2024-04-25 17:48:33
#Ávila #city #educational #sports
