Julián Andrés Santa
The manager of the year in our department, according to the criteria of ACORD Risaralda journalists, was Natalia Florez, president of the badminton league, a discipline that was precisely one of the most outstanding throughout 2025, not only at the national level, but also consolidating its processes and results at an international level. This is highlighted by the league’s coach, William Gutiérrez.
About the closing of the sports calendar: “We were in the South American Junior and Seniors and also in the Para Badminton, held in the city of Bucaramanga. The Risraldense delegation was attended by 16 athletes and three coaches. Professor Natalia Florez was in charge of the para badminton and junior process and I was with the senior category.”
For results to occur, the sporting part must always go hand in hand with the administrative part. “We are very happy with the results obtained and this is consistent with everything that our league has been developing during 2025, where we have positioned our athletes in the international arena, thanks to that good administration by our president Natalia Florez López, which makes those resources that come in from the Government, potentiate and expand to achieve everything that was done in 2025.”
“For Risaralda in the individual modalities we had Juliana Giraldo, Karen Patiño, Enrique Rodríguez and Jerónimo Giraldo, where Juliana Giraldo was crowned South American champion, winning the gold medal. Then, together with Karen Patiño, they obtained the silver after losing the final against the Peruvian duo and later came the bronze with Juliana Giraldo and Jerónimo Giraldo in the mixed doubles modality. This after losing in the semifinal against a duo Peruvian.”
“In the junior category of the South American, the Risaralda League contributes six athletes in the team modality, which join another 14 in the country, where they obtained a bronze medal in the team modality. In the individual modalities, Jerónimo Giraldo won a bronze in the Under-17 category. This athlete is positioned internationally as one of the great chips and figures, with a very good projection in the international arena. Let us remember that he currently occupies 61st place in the world ranking, which invites us to continue with the project towards an Olympic qualification for Dakar 2026.”
“In the senior categories I was in charge of the Colombian team in the team modality, where Risaralda contributes two athletes: Juliana Giraldo and Karen Patiño, who along with 16 other athletes from the country, obtained a bronze medal, thus closing this great performance of ours in the South American,” points out the coach of the Risaraldense Badminton League, William Gutiérrez.
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