Two murals by the artist Iván Témpera, painted in mixed media, have adorned the Emilio Machín de León Municipal Arena in the town of Uga since this Sunday. In one, we appreciate the imposing figure of Joaquín Rodríguez ‘Pollo de Uga’ (1895 -1959), the greatest wrestler in the Canary Islands, alongside the director Emilio Machín de León (1948 - 2012), founding president of the Unión Sur Yaiza Club in 1990, while the other mural interprets the tradition and development of Canarian wrestling in the municipality of Yaiza and the genesis of the southern quarry forged in the town of Playa Blanca through the training work of Tomás Quesada.
The unveiling of both works by the mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, and the councilor for Sports, Ángel Lago, in the company of relatives of the two honored individuals and members of the municipality's Canarian wrestling family, marked the emotional premiere of the Joaquín Rodríguez ‘Pollo de Uga’ Tournament, which in this first edition pitted the Unión Sur Yaiza and Llano del Moro clubs, invited from the island of Tenerife, against each other. The latter took the victory with a score of 11 - 12.
Antonio Stinga Rodríguez, grandson of ‘Pollo de Uga’, and Emilio Machín Borges, son of Emilio Machín de León, received framed pictures of their predecessors in the same color schemes as the mural. Both expressed gratitude for the municipal tribute, proudly recalling the extraordinary performance of ‘Pollo de Uga’ in the arenas of the Canary Islands and the tireless work of Emilio Machín in the streets and offices as a man who convinced everyone to move forward and found Unión Sur Yaiza.
Óscar Noda praised the figures of the honorees, stating that “Joaquín Rodríguez is a legend of the Canary Islands and an example for the new generations starting in the sport of Canarian wrestling. ‘El Pollo de Uga’ presides over the town square with the sculpture we commissioned from Cintia Machín and is now also very present in the municipal arena.” Regarding Emilio Machín, the mayor highlighted “his personality and dedication to building the pillars of what is today our local club and his journey throughout the Canary Islands to bring the best wrestlers from the Islands to Yaiza and Lanzarote.”
The Yaiza Sports councilor, Ángel Lago, who was a successful fighter and manager of the club, joined the mayor's words of recognition by sending a message to the fans of Canarian wrestling: "may they continue to support the sport of tradition, it is our identity and it is our obligation to keep wrestling alive. Our commitment is to promote the municipal school, help the club and consolidate the 'Pollo de Uga' Tournament, because consolidating it is to continue honoring his figure through the promotion of the sport that made him famous”.
The morning was filled with applause, hugs, and many emotions. Yaiza also presented the Fan Trophy to a person who represents the spirit of Canarian wrestling, Pelegrina Lemes, a woman who has always supported Unión Sur Yaiza in good times and bad, also being an unconditional support for her husband, Juan Reyes. Both are an essential part of the history and soul of the southern club.
In addition to the victory of Llano del Moro over Yaiza, teams coached by Bernardo Díaz and Ernesto Saavedra, respectively, the sport left the names of the winners of the challenges for young fighters in the children's, cadet, and youth categories. In the children's category, the champion was Yuri Afonso, in the cadet category, Arturo Puente, and in the youth category, Echedey Acuña. The most spectacular fight was won by Erik Siu. The town enjoyed the sport, remembering great figures of wrestling.
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