BADAJOZ, 4 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
He ‘Pink Arrows’ project of the Extremadura Archery Federation has been recognized with the XX Espiga Award ‘Promotion of Physical Activity and Sport’which grants Rural Bank of Extremadurain collaboration with the General Directorate of Sports of the Regional Government and the Extremadura sports federations.
The jury praised the ‘Pink Arrows’ project “for using sport to raise awareness and collaborate in a charitable cause.”
Specifically, coinciding with World Breast Cancer Day, this federation is holding open days and a charity tournament to raise awareness about the prevention of this type of cancer and to highlight the benefits that archery brings in the fight against this disease, reports Caja Rural de Extremadura in a press release.
The award, worth 4,000 euros, was presented by the president of Caja Rural de Extremadura, Urbano Caballo, and the regional minister for Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports of the Extremadura Regional Government, Victoria Bazaga, at an event also attended by the mayor of Badajoz, Ignacio Gragera, the president of the Badajoz Provincial Council, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, the general manager of Caja Rural de Extremadura, Juan Palacios, and the regional general manager for Sports, Santi Amaro.
Jury members, institutional representatives, athletes and directors of clubs and associations who participated in this edition of the competition, in which a total of 23 candidates reached the final, were also present.
OTHER AWARD WINNERS
In addition to the main award, three other prizes were awarded, each with a prize of 1,500 euros. In the Individual Sport category, recognition was given to Mariela Vázquez Bohoyo, a young badminton player with a meteoric career, who was called up to the Spanish under-15 team and has positioned herself at number 1 in the national under-19 ranking, ahead of players who train in technical centres with better infrastructure. She plays for the Cura Mora Sports Association, in Villanueva de la Vera.
This team has won the prize in the category of Collective Sport. AD Cura Mora is a “reference” at a regional level – where it contributes the highest percentage of players to the Extremadura badminton team – and nationally for the successes it has achieved, despite being a small association from a town of just over 2,000 inhabitants.
The association began its journey in the early 2000s with a small futsal section and now has more than 200 athletes who, throughout the year, travel around the region, with the School Sports Games, and nationally, especially with established sections such as badminton.
Finally, the Camino a la Vida Futsal Association, from Montijo, has won the award in the Inclusive Sport category. This entity’s main objective is the immediate assistance, rehabilitation and social reintegration of people who, regardless of their origin, race or religion, have problems derived from addictive behaviour and/or are at risk of social exclusion, and it has used sport to help them do so.
SPECIAL THANK YOU AWARD
The Special Thanks Award also recognised the extensive career linked to sport of Agustín Rubio Corchado, director of the municipal sports board of Alburquerque. He has been a national athletics coach and national coach of athletics for people with cerebral palsy. The jury highlighted his commitment to sport for all and by all.
Finally, two honorable mentions were made, one “thank you” to the Colegio la Asunción Josefinas Santísima Trinidad de Cáceres and another to the Municipal Sports Foundation of Badajoz for its work with grassroots sports in the city.
The president of Caja Rural de Extremadura, Urbano Caballo, congratulated the winners and stressed that these awards “embodied the principles and spirit of commitment of La Caja”, since they are based on values such as teamwork, humility, a culture of effort and perseverance.
He also took the opportunity to recall the “good health” of these awards, which are now 20 years old, and highlighted their philosophy, which is focused on recognising other values, apart from victory, such as career, social involvement or impact on the territory.
For his part, the president of the Provincial Council of Badajoz, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, congratulated the athletes and said that it was a “recognition of their work.” Each athlete, he said, is an ambassador for the region. He also highlighted the importance of entities such as Caja Rural de Extremadura and its commitment to talent and young people.
The Mayor of Badajoz, Ignacio Gragera, thanked the Municipal Sports Institute for its recognition, and thanked La Caja for “always being there and believing in this land.”
To close the event, the Minister of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports of the Regional Government of Extremadura, Victoria Bazaga, praised the work of the “sportsmen” and reminded them that we are in an Olympic year. She wished them luck and, regardless of the results, she told them that they will be waiting for them with open arms. She also thanked Caja Rural de Extremadura for its “patronage” work.
After 20 editions, the Espiga Sports Awards have become a “reference” in regional sport and a support for clubs and athletes from Extremadura with which Caja Rural de Extremadura reaffirms its commitment to sport in Extremadura as a social driving force and for healthy living.
The jury for this 20th edition was made up of María Navarro, manager of the Education and Promotion Fund of Caja Rural de Extremadura; Pedro J. Gordillo, director of Sports Promotion of the Regional Government of Extremadura; José Manuel Mateos, from the Badajoz Marathon Club; José Luis Domínguez, general secretary of the Extremadura Paddle Tennis Federation; Jesús Luis Blanco, honorary president of the Basketball Federation; Raquel Torrado Pino, director of Commercial Transformation of Caja Rural de Extremadura; and María Ramos, Olympic athlete and marathon runner. Miguel Ángel Guzmán served as technical secretary of the jury.
2024-07-04 07:09:34
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