The Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, directed by Poli Suárez, in collaboration with the Asociación Charter 100 Canarias, celebrated this Thursday in the emblematic auditorium of Jameos del Agua, in Lanzarote the III Gala of Women and Canarian Sport, an event in which twenty-three referents of women's sport in the islands were distinguished —among professionals, entities and projects— for their trajectory, contribution and impact in their respective fields.
With a full house and a total success in terms of turnout, this third edition of the gala was marked by emotion and collective recognition, in which the role of women in the development of sport in the Canary Islands was once again highlighted. After two editions held in Gran Canaria, the gala moved for the first time to Lanzarote, consolidating its itinerant character and its regional vocation.
The ceremony, hosted once again by journalist Paloma del Río, was marked by the testimonies of several of the awardees, who took the floor to share their experiences and claim the role of women in sport.
On behalf of the group of awardees, Marlene Merle, Cecilia Dorado, Tayri de León, Julia Samsó and María Cantero spoke.
The counselor Poli Suárez highlighted that “this gala reflects the commitment of the Government of Canarias to real equality in sport, recognizing the talent, effort, and trajectory of women who are a reference in all the islands”. Likewise, he underlined that “visibilizing these examples is fundamental to continue advancing and generating new opportunities for the coming generations”. Likewise, he added that “recognizing the entire sports ecosystem —from those who compete to those who organize, train or care— is fundamental to continue advancing”, and recalled that “women's sport has consolidated as a clear commitment of the Government of Canarias, with useful policies and resources that allow generating opportunities in all the islands”.
For her part, the president of Charter 100 Canarias, Nardy Barrios, pointed out that “this gala once again demonstrates that women's sports in Canarias not only have a present, but a solid future, built thanks to the effort and talent of many women who today have been recognized, but who represent many more”.
Presentation of awards
The awards ceremony, which took place in an atmosphere of collective recognition, was attended, in addition to Poli Suárez and Nardy Barrios, by the Minister of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado; the regional commissioner for Transparency, Noelia García Leal; the deputy minister of Physical Activity and Sports, Ángel Sabroso; the general director of Indigenous Sports, Lorena Hernández, as well as the vice president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, María Jesús Tovar, and the mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba.
Acknowledgements:
- The block of distinctions included the recognition of the Best Sportswomen in the autonomous and island spheres, which this year went to Daniela Rodríguez Perera (Gran Canaria), Alexandra Rinder (Tenerife), Sol Borelli Luzarreta (Lanzarote), Brenda Roger (Fuerteventura), Gabriela Rodríguez Santaella (La Palma), Julia Samsó Sánchez (El Hierro), Miguelina Padrón Herrera (La Gomera) and Tayri de León Quintero (La Graciosa).
- For her work in sports dissemination, the gala distinguished journalist Fátima Febles de León, while Flora Pescador Monagas was recognized in the field of architecture applied to sport and Marlene Merle, in the development of innovative initiatives linked to this sector.
- In the health section, the work of Marta and Laura Capdevila Riverola was recognized, while the career of María Cantero Izquierdo and the commitment of Wendy Cruz Vega to sustainability completed this block of individual recognitions.
- In the field of leadership and collective action, Ingrid Roger Soler, captain of Zonzamas Plus Car Lanzarote; the Asociación Mujeres Deportistas Canarias, for its promotion of equality; and the Club Deportivo Costa Adeje Tenerife, as a leading entity in the promotion of women's sports, were distinguished.
- Likewise, the jury recognized the work of Carmen Sosa Castro in sports management, of Ariadna Chueca Moreno in refereeing, of Cecilia Dorado García in the field of training and of Berta Santana Godoy for her contribution to inclusion from the Club de Hockey Adaptado Adassa of Lanzarote.
- Finally, Canarian traditional sport received specific recognition through the distinction of Candelaria Aguiar Díaz, from the Club de Lucha Revoleada de Llano del Moro, as a Woman Referent of Canarian Traditional Sport.
The ceremony, developed in a unique environment where nature, art and culture merge, culminated with the performance of the artistic brand LÓperArs, putting the finishing touch to a night that reaffirms the role of this gala as a space for recognition, inspiration and encounter for Canarian women's sports.