The Consejo Superior de Deportes has allocated 98 of its 175 internal scholarship slots at Madrid’s Centro de Alto Rendimiento to 14 specific sports federations under a new system for the 2026/2027 season, leaving core combat disciplines to compete for remaining positions, Libertad Digital reported.
Budget and Quota Distribution for 2026/2027
The overall scholarship program carries a total budget of €3,804,712.20, providing 175 internal slots and 150 external places at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento in Madrid. Administered under the leadership of CSD José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, the convocation aims to support elite athletes and balance their training with academic commitments. However, the introduction of Annex I alters how more than half of the internal residential slots are distributed.
Under this new administrative mechanism, 98 residential places inside the Residencia Joaquín Blume are pre-assigned to 14 designated federations before any open competition takes place. The remaining sports must contest whatever spots are left over after the initial set-asides are completed.
Judo Facilities and Historical Presence at the Complex
Among the disciplines omitted from the initial Annex I reservation are judo, karate, and taekwondo. The Spanish Judo Federation maintains an uninterrupted physical presence inside the Madrid complex, utilizing approximately 800 square meters of permanent tatami space alongside dedicated weightrooms and training infrastructure.
Technical staff and national program athletes operate morning and afternoon sessions daily at the facility. In 2019, CSD records placed judo among the top four sports for scholarship recipients at the Residencia Blume with 16 athletes, alongside halterofilia with 15, taekwondo with 13, and karate with 12. Despite this documented history of high occupancy and specialized daily use, the federation received no guaranteed quota under the new system.
Golf Inclusion Despite External Training Locations
In contrast to combat sports physically rooted inside the Madrid complex, the sport of golf secured a guaranteed quota within the Residencia Blume housing list. Official facility inventories for the CAR list tracks, pools, gymnasiums, and combat rooms, but contain no golf course on the premises.
The CSD defends the inclusion by noting that scholarship guidelines permit support for athletes training within 30 kilometers of the center. Beneficiary golfers routinely utilize the Centro Especializado de Alto Rendimiento de Golf located 7.7 kilometers away.
Subdirectorate Review and Technical Criteria
Contacted regarding the changes, the CSD stated that the Subdirección General de Alta Competición evaluated candidates based on competitive results, historical occupancy rates, Olympic or Paralympic representation, and technical support structures. Officials did not release comparative scoring data explaining why the 14 selected federations received reserved slots while established resident programs missed the initial allocation.
Four judokas have reportedly lost their residential status at the Blume facility under the revised distribution, including a medalist from the 2026 Mediterranean Games held in Taranto, Italy.
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