The Port of Cartagena turned its waterfront into an open-air sports park on Saturday, October 24, hosting the free iSportFest initiative to bring various athletic disciplines to the general public. Running continuously from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time, the event combined participatory activities, exhibitions, and workshops across four distinct port zones to promote physical health and social inclusion.
Port Esplanade Hosts Robot Table Tennis and Trial Biking
The main esplanade next to the Héroes de Cavite monument served as a central hub for land-based disciplines. Visitors tested their skills in motocycling, trial biking, inline hockey, badminton, squash, rugby, and martial arts such as taekwondo and self-defense. Organizers also featured a hybrid combat style fusing fighting techniques with hip-hop.
One of the more popular attractions in this zone was an interactive table tennis setup where attendees could play against a robotic opponent. While many activities operated on a free-access basis, certain specialized sessions required advance registration through the official event website to manage participant capacity.
Maritime Zones Feature Traditional Rowing and Dragon Boats
Activities shifted to the water around the Cola de Ballena and the Santa Lucía Yacht Club, where participants joined initiation sessions for traditional rowing, llaut, falucho, dragon boat racing, C-10 canoeing, and dinghy sailing. The maritime program also showcased historical latin sail demonstrations alongside remote-controlled boat regatas.
Just a short distance away on the Cuesta del Batel, organizers held an inclusive archery tournament open to all visitors. Meanwhile, the Plaza de las Cartagenas del Mundo hosted sessions of aesthetic gymnastics, capoeira, inline freestyle skating, kettlebell weightlifting, tai chi, and rowing ergometers, supplemented by zumba, music therapy, and laughter therapy.
Elite Athletes Share Experiences at the Waterfront
The Plaza de las Cartagenas del Mundo also housed the “Meet Our Champions” space, organized in cooperation with the High-Performance Center of the Region of Murcia. Four elite and adapted athletes attended the event to meet fans, give interviews, and sign autographs: Carla Lera, of Olympic wrestling; Kike Siscar, of wheelchair table tennis; Rachid El Hayani, of parataekwondo; and Viktoria Yarchevska, of canoeing.
European Funding Backs Regional Sports Integration
The iSportFest operates as part of a broader project co-financed by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Sport program. Academic and scientific direction falls to the University of Murcia, with participation from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, the regional autonomous government, the city councils of Cartagena and Murcia, and the Port Authority. Sports coordination is managed by the Union of Sports Federations of the Region of Murcia.
The event concluded its single-day schedule in the early afternoon, having utilized the city’s coastal infrastructure to connect citizens with non-traditional sports and competitive athletes.
