With only two days left until the official start, Arrecife enters the final stretch of preparations to host one of the year's major sporting events in the Canary Islands: the European U17 Badminton Championships. The Ciudad de Arrecife Sports Palace, reopened a week ago by the municipal government led by Mayor Yonathan de León, becomes, starting this Saturday, November 29, the continental epicenter of youth badminton, bringing together nearly 600 athletes from 38 countries for ten days.
The mayor of Lanzarote's capital, Yonathan de León, accompanied by the island councilor for Physical Activity and Sports, Juan Monzón, showed the media this Thursday morning the deployment for this major event at the reopened Ciudad de Arrecife Sports Palace, which reopened for service a week ago after thirteen years closed due to illegalities and neglect.
Yonathan de León highlighted to journalists and graphic designers that "the celebration of the U17 European Badminton Championships in these facilities, and in the city of Arrecife, proves that in recent months we have been working intensely and with planning for the reopening, one of the priorities I assumed when I was proclaimed mayor of Arrecife in July 2023".
The mayor, who along with the Councilor for Sports and PP spokesperson, Eli Merino, was instrumental in the reopening and commissioning of these sports facilities, the largest indoor arena in Lanzarote, emphasized at the press conference that "a week after the reopening of the arena, we are hosting one of Europe's major sporting championships, demonstrating that its commissioning, with legality, was a reality in this first part of the municipal mandate." De León Machín emphasized that "many people, even the opposition, doubted that the Argana Arena would be commissioned in compliance with the law. I never doubted it. We had to get to work, and now Argana and Arrecife shine with facilities that are entering the international circuits of major sporting events.”
The Minister of Physical Activity and Sports, Juan Monzón, assured that this European event "demonstrates the capacity that the island institution and the capital city council have to host events of this caliber." "From minute one, we knew we had the necessary mechanisms and infrastructure to enjoy a European championship in the city," pointed out the minister, who also profoundly thanked "the mayor of Arrecife, his councilor for Sports, and the administrations participating in the event, such as the Centers for Art, Culture, and Tourism; the Government of the Canary Islands, and Tourism Lanzarote."
The event, which will be held from November 29 to December 7, is organized by the Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC) and the Spanish Badminton Federation (FESBA), with the collaboration of the Canary Islands Badminton Federation, the local clubs Auria Bádminton Club and Lanzarote Raqueta Club, and the institutional support of the Arrecife City Council, the Lanzarote Island Council, the Department of Physical Activity and Sports, Lanzarote Tourism Promotion, SPEL, the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT), in addition to the backing of the Higher Sports Council (CSD).
Arrecife, European capital of badminton
This week, conditioning work began so that the Ciudad de Arrecife Sports Palace will be dressed up from this Saturday to host a top-level competition. Everything will be ready and the official training sessions will be carried out, so that the team competition will kick off on Saturday. This will be held until December 3rd. On the other hand, on December 2nd, the individual competition will begin, which will continue until the closing of the championship on December 7th
On the sporting front, the draw placed Spain —seventh seed— in Group 7 alongside Estonia, Cyprus, Israel, and Greece, a group that leaves no room for error. The national team will arrive in Lanzarote with a squad of 10 players (5 boys and 5 girls) and the ambitious challenge of securing a top-four finish, which would guarantee a medal. The coaching staff is prepared for this team, with room for growth, to show its potential in the group stage and reach the knockout rounds
The mayor announced at the press conference that around 20,000 overnight stays are expected in the city's hotels and other areas of Lanzarote to accommodate the teams from the 38 participating countries, plus the delegations and families who will travel to Lanzarote during these weeks.