The traditional Festival of Festivals competition, which this year is held in tribute to the leader Consuelo Zapata, and called “Everyone’s Dream”, will premiere its 13th edition this Saturday.
It will be held for two weeks, until January 20, in different sports venues in Medellín and Bello. The main one, the Atanasio Girardot Sports Unit, but use will also be made of the Belén Sports Unit, the Juan Pablo II Airport runway, the Comfenalco Guayabal Park and the Tulio Ospina Coliseum.
As a novelty, in 2024 5 new ‘baby’ sports were included: underwater activities, badminton, fencing, shuffleboard and beach volleyball. These are added to chess, athletics, basketball, baseball, BMX, bowling, cycling, soccer, indoor soccer, futsal, judo, swimming, skating, cheerleading, taekwondo, field tennis, table tennis, archery and volleyball . In total, there will be 24 disciplines, the largest number in the history of the competition.
The sports with the most participants will be baby soccer (1,296), baby cheerleading (906) and baby soccer (728). And the disciplines with the least registrations are babyesgrima (39), babytejo (60) and baby beach volleyball (56).
Armando Pérez Hoyos, president of the Los Paisitas Sports Corporation, organizer of the event, stated that “there is a large number, to give the opportunity not only to those who love soccer, but also to those who like other activities. “We want to integrate all the sports of the Olympic cycle, it is not easy, but we also dream.”
Pérez, a former professional soccer referee, also referred to the importance of the Festival of Festivals for the city: “It started as a dream, let’s say, like a game. But it grew over time, and today it is so important that it was declared by the Medellín Council as a city event, meaning that there is already a commitment to this capital and that must be fulfilled in the best way.”
Labor social
The history of the Festival dates back to 1984, when, under one of the mango trees that bear fruit next to the Marte field, leaders thought of creating a soccer tournament for children, with the aim of giving back to the beautiful sport for what it gave. had given to them. This social component has not changed, on the contrary, it was reinforced as the engine that drives the final meaning of holding the contest.
The focus is, according to the organization, “to contribute to the comprehensive training process of the children’s community, to contribute to the social development of Antioquia and the country through the Festival of Festivals, based on innovative concepts, fair play and responsible management of free time.” . Consequently, the organization is responsible for providing children with all the necessary elements to participate optimally and equitably in the competitions, such as uniforms, stages and logistical support.
In this regard, Armando Pérez stated that they hope that the children and adolescents who participate truly begin to love the Festival, that if they dreamed, there are others who can do it too. “That is a chain, and the links are sticking together, this is going to be very big, now we are not sizing it, but this is going to be a very large construction.”
This edition will be the one with the greatest presence of the 13 that have been held. Therefore, the public is expected to be present in all the stages’ stands. For the correct development of the event, it is recommended to refrain from using paraphernalia such as shredded paper, fire extinguishers or colored smoke, the famous ‘vuvuzelas’, large drums, and, above all, gunpowder.
The official opening will be this Saturday at 3:30 pm on the Marte 1 field of the Atanasio Girardot Sports Unit. It will have the participation of various sports figures who will make up the contest that began in the 80s.
This year’s edition of the Festival of Festivals is dedicated to the memory of the recently deceased Antioquia leader Consuelo Zapata Espinosa, one of the people who promulgated this type of events. This is how her brother Javier remembered her: “She always thought of sport as a mechanism to protect young people from bad habits and promote a sports culture among them and their families. Today, 40 years later, this has been extended and athletes, technicians and judges have been trained here who have raised the name of the country. We thank all the friends, leaders and managers of the Los Paisitas Corporation for being part of Consuelo’s life and for having welcomed her. “People don’t die as long as we remember them.”
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Countries represented: Colombia, Canada, United States, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela.
8:00
am will start the babysoccer day, until 6:40 pm when the last game begins.
2024-01-06 15:04:57
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