PARIS, Sep. 8 (by EUROPA PRESS special correspondent Ramón Chamorro) –
The president of the Spanish Paralympic Committee (CPE), Miguel Carballeda, said he was “proud of the result” of 40 medals won at the Paris Games, “a remarkable high” in terms of sport, but “an eleven in terms of human achievement” as a note, while the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, said he was leaving the French capital after having “seen things that he had never” before witnessed “so closely”.
“I am happy and proud of the result, of our team and of our management team. Medals are the goal we are working towards and we are clear about that, but in the case of the Paralympics we have other objectives such as raising awareness and making society reflect on the world of disability,” said Carballeda during the press conference to assess the team’s performance.
For this reason, he gave the athletes of the delegation a “high mark” for their sporting performance. “We are obliged to improve,” confessed the leader, who had already confirmed that he will not continue in office when this mandate ends. “But on the human side I give an eleven,” he clarified after leaving the friendly note of the appearance by putting on a shirt with the number ’40’, which was the one he had predicted on several occasions, and with a reserve one with the number ’41’ in case the bronze medal was not taken away from Elena Congost.
The president expressed his “great happiness with the support” they have received at these Games “from the Government of Spain and the CSD” and stressed that they have had “the largest attendance in the history of Spanish Paralympics” in terms of authorities such as the president of the country, Pedro Sánchez, who “made a tremendous effort and had to alter his agenda”, HM Queen Letizia, ministers such as Pilar Alegría, Elma Sáiz and Pablo Bustunduy, HRH Infanta Elena, Honorary President, regional presidents such as Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Fernando López-Miras, and “around thirty sponsors”.
Carballeda stressed that “example is important” and therefore cited “the only one” of the Aragonese swimmer Teresa Perales who managed to equal Michael Phelps’ 28 Olympic medals, “with one arm disabled and her legs disabled”, and also gave “thanks to each and every one of the guides who have helped the athletes”.
“We look to the future with joy and I would like to publicly ask TVE to jointly acquire the rights to the Olympic and Paralympic Games next time to avoid such suffering, but a great job has been done in the broadcasting,” said the president of the CPE, who congratulated his organisation for “the magnificent organisation of France”.
URIBES: “I’VE SEEN THINGS I’VE NEVER SEEN SO CLOSELY”
For his part, the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, confessed that he had experienced “unforgettable moments” and that he had been “moved on different occasions.” “I have seen things that I had never seen so close, such as enormous respect in the rivalry and recognition of the other very powerful team,” he said.
“The number of people watching the Paralympic Games was tremendous. The result is a success and the challenge now is to improve it in Los Angeles,” added the leader, for whom “the assessment is positive.” “The data is objectively valuable, we continue to recover positions and increase in visibility,” he noted.
The president stressed that “the effort of the CSD and the Government is decisive,” but that they must “continue working.” “I accept Miguel’s (Carballeda) request and I also believe that this is the time,” said the president of the Council on the improvement of ‘Team Spain’ towards Paralympic athletes.
For Uribes, who also praised “the atmosphere of brotherhood” that has been experienced, there is still “a path that must be continued.” “We will see what the final goal is, there is already equality and visibility, I believe, as I said on Saturday (at the Spanish Embassy in Paris), that one day it will be a single Games for all athletes,” he warned.
“I think that Teresa’s (Perales) achievement is an impressive feat, and to do it with such joy and determination, as well as Martín (DE la Puente) and Dani (Caverzaschi) with their first medal in tennis, Judith’s (Rodríguez) or Susana Rodríguez’s gold with that ‘great run’. They have all been very exciting moments that we will take with us in our hearts and that dignify the dignity of the human being and how the will is capable of bringing out the best,” he concluded.