In a gesture of solidarity and commitment to Argentine judo, Paula Pareto, the outstanding Olympic champion, together with her coach Laura Martinel, have made the decision to give up their sports scholarships to help finance more athletes amid severe budget cuts .
This decision arises in response to the drastic cut promoted by the Sports Secretariat, which has reduced the number of athletes who will receive scholarships from 18 to 4, leaving athletes and coaches in a precarious situation.
Laura Martinel, who in addition to being Pareto’s coach, holds the position of National Technical Director of the Argentine Judo Confederation, explained in an interview with TyC Sports that the situation is unsustainable and endangers sport and the training of new talents.
In view of this critical situation, Martinel made the decision to renounce his scholarship from the Sports Secretariat to allocate those funds to other athletes, with the aim of avoiding a negative impact on the development of Argentine judo.
Paula Pareto supported this determination and stressed the importance of maintaining consistency between the demands placed on athletes and the actual support provided to them. She highlighted the need to offer opportunities to young athletes to ensure the continued success of Argentine sport in international competitions.
Both athletes also pointed out the uncertainty over the financing of Argentine sport after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, underscoring the importance of long-term planning to ensure the sustainable development of judo and other sports in the country.
Amid these concerns, the resignation of Pareto and Martinel not only seeks to mitigate the immediate effects of the cut, but also to send a clear message about the need for continued and coherent support for sport in Argentina.
2024-05-11 17:23:28
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