MADRID, 2 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Paralympic Committee (CPE) and the Community of Madrid have presented this Thursday the ‘Paralympic Relay’ project to promote inclusive sport in the region in the face of high competition and “guarantee the future” for athletes with disabilities.
The event, held at the regional Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports and presented by the judoka Marta Arce, was attended by the president of the CPE, Miguel Carballeda; the councilor for the area, Marta Rivera de la Cruz; and the president of the Madrid Sports Federation for People with Physical Disabilities, José Criado.
During his speech, Carballeda recalled that the program deals with “equal opportunities.” As citizens of the Community of Madrid we work for the need to play sports, and today we are here to make it possible for people with disabilities to avoid difficulties, that they have adequate material, facilities, that can be trained”, he highlighted.
“It is important to guarantee the future in the sport of people with disabilities. There are 545 days left to parade in the next Paris Games, today we are here to guarantee the future and the relay in the following sporting events,” said Carballeda, who explained that the project is already in Murcia, the Valencian Community, the Canary Islands, Castilla y León and the Basque Country, with La Rioja and Catalonia still “pending”.
For his part, Rivera de la Cruz showed the “strong commitment” of the regional government to this type of program. “Madrid could not be left out of this project, which excites the entire Paralympic family. This program makes us more aware of the importance of promoting athletes for Paris 2024,” he said.
“Converting aid into medals makes us excited, but we must ensure that no athlete is left without our help. If someone wants to dedicate themselves to sport, they must help them and find those talents, which are sometimes hidden, to promote them,” said the counselor. .
Finally, Criado pointed out that ‘Paralympic Relay’ is a “much necessary” program that “will join the efforts” of the competitions of the federations, always seeking “development” and “equal conditions” in the competition.
“Betting on disability and sport is a boost to continue betting on people and clubs. This program and its ability to attract and generate resources is a huge challenge, a project that has already been tested in other regions. Its landing in Madrid will serve as a boost to athletes, so that they have more visibility and be a mirror for many others,” he celebrated.
The ‘Paralympic Relay’ process starts from the initial phase, locating people with disabilities who have potential, up to their access to the technical programs of the Madrid federations and the teams of Paralympic Promises.
The initiative has a comprehensive approach that covers aspects such as the training of technicians in areas such as modernization, provision of material to sports entities, holding promotion days and talent detection, creation of a structure of inclusive clubs, or the signing of agreements with institutions of interest, as reported by the Community in a statement.