Madrid, Jan 29 (EFE) .- Sixteen federations and 35 competitions of Spanish women’s sports have one feature in common: the support of the energy company Iberdrola, whose support for women’s sports includes more than 300,000 athletes and has a vocation of continuity, according to his head of sports sponsorship, Laura Gil, told EFE.
“44% of the Spanish population recognizes Iberdrola as the main promoter of women’s sport, that is a great satisfaction for us, but the best return is what is being achieved, in the federations that we support the number of federated has increased a 32% “, Gil affirms in an interview with EFE.
The commitment of energy starts from 2015, when in a review of their corporate social responsibility policies they decided to bet on the fifth of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), on gender equality and the empowerment of women , through sports.
“We had already had sports sponsorships, such as the ‘Spanish Challenge’ in the Copa América or the Spanish men’s soccer team between 2009 and 2015, and it was thought that we could use that accumulated experience to value women in sport and use it as a tool to achieve the objective “, he relates.
LEAGUES, SELECTIONS AND FEMALE REFERENTS IN SPORT
From the beginning, he assures, it was decided to make a general bet, not linked to a single sport, and it was decided to provide support through the Universo Mujer program of the Higher Sports Council (CSD).
Through this program, ten federations were first linked, then increased to the current sixteen (gymnastics, triathlon, rugby, canoeing, badminton, football, handball, volleyball, hockey, table tennis, athletics, karate, boxing, surfing, sports ice and fencing), with which a similar scheme is followed: support for national teams or individual athletes, and for the main league in each discipline.
“We have promoted the league format because it is a continuous competition that facilitates continuous improvement, the modernization of the sport and the improvement of the competitive level. And we are also trying to create references: we have a plan of ambassadors, in which 24 athletes participate this year already, “adds Gil.
However, the company spokesperson admits that football has been for them “a spearhead” due to the interest it arouses in Spanish fans, although in this period they have seen the competition partially change its name – from Liga Iberdrola to Primera Iberdrola- when passing its management of the clubs to the Spanish Football Federation.
“Thanks to all the entities that have put in their efforts, we have seen women’s matches in stadiums so far used by men’s teams, attendance records, broadcasting on generalist networks, and not only that, the number of women’s licenses has grown in percentage more than that of men, “says the head of Iberdrola. In 2019, the last year with available figures, there were 71,276 federated, 9.5% more than the previous year, while the federated grew 2.6% (1,024,328 licenses).
COVID DOES NOT STOP INVESTMENT, WHICH WILL CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE
Gil assures that the coronavirus pandemic has not caused them to reduce or modulate sponsorship “at all”. “We had to adapt to the situation, when the competitions were paralyzed we got closer to the athletes to help them continue training when sports equipment was scarce,” he recalls.
In a context of economic crisis in which some sponsors may reduce their contribution to women’s sport, the head of Iberdrola observes that “all entities continue to work with the same effort and passion” and is “convinced” that it will be possible to make women’s sport continue to grow.
The same will continue the investment of the energy company in women’s sports, of which it did not want to give concrete figures but did say that it is “in line” of what was contributed to the men’s soccer team and that it will continue through the Universe program CSD woman, which ends at the end of 2021.
“The intention is to work together with the CSD in the renewal of the Universo Mujer program”, Gil confirmed, reiterating that the commitment is “in the short and medium term to continue betting on equality in sport,” according to the official. of Iberdrola sports sponsorships.
Miguel Angel Moreno
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