MADRID, 26 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) and the CEOE Foundation have signed this Tuesday a collaboration agreement to establish a “winning alliance” between business and sport, and by which they commit to work for common progress, as reported by the Olympic body in a statement.
The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Olympic institution by the president of the COE, Alejandro Blanco; the president of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi; and the president of the CEOE Foundation, Fátima Báñez.
During his speech, Alejandro Blanco highlighted the role of the more than 60,000 clubs that exist in Spain, of which “more than 80% are companies created by 2-3 freelancers.” “Generally we talk about the quality of athletes and coaches, but we have to talk about the quality of the clubs. Today is a big day for all of them,” he declared.
“This agreement has many dimensions because it encompasses exchange, investment and training. Companies are interested in trained athletes. And from the COE, together with the UCAM, we work so that when their sports career is over they are trained. Sport and the company do not they only share values, but are united by their DNA. Athletes, companies and Spain will benefit from this collaboration”, he explained.
For his part, Antonio Garamendi recognized that companies must “access sport, not only in the physical aspect, but to help athletes” because there are many values shared by the business and sports sectors. “They can bring experience, sacrifice or teamwork,” he said.
From the CEOE Foundation, Fátima Ibáñez pointed out that with the signing of this agreement a “winning alliance” is achieved for society, because “sport and business share the same values”. “It is an alliance for the present, but above all for the future. An alliance of leadership, talent and commitment to the SDGs,” she concluded.
In addition, the president of the COE, Alejandro Blanco, presented an award to the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, for the contribution that the company makes to sport.