The Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity, and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Association of Professional Women Charter 100 Canarias celebrated the II Women and Sports Gala this Thursday night at the Hotel Santa Catalina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, an event that awarded thirty women and sports entities for their contribution to women's sports in the islands.
The event, presided over by the Vice President and Minister of Economy, Industry, Commerce, and Self-Employed of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Domínguez, was attended by the Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity, and Sports, Poli Suárez, the Minister of Finance and Relations with the European Union, Matilde Asián, and the Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carolina Darias, among other authorities who filled the capacity of the Palmeras Hall of the aforementioned hotel in the capital of Gran Canaria.
In his speech, Domínguez pointed out that the Canary Islands "has always been a very fertile land when it comes to generating athletes, and events like today's serve to recognize the effort and talent of athletes and entities that have helped and contributed to the recognition of those Canary Island women who have paved the way when it was much more complicated and have served as a source of inspiration for new generations." Domínguez also thanked the clubs that support women's sports and help girls fulfill their dreams.
For his part, Suárez recalled that the Government is "working tirelessly to achieve real and effective equality in the world of sports, with support for women's sports at all levels," and, in that sense, the Gala means "settling a small part of the debt" that society has with female athletes "and one more example of our willingness to give visibility to all those women and entities that have taken the name of our land around the world."
The president of Charter 100 Canarias, Nardy Barrios, assured in her welcoming remarks that "it is important to make women visible every day of the year. With these awards, we want to recognize the enormous commitment of athletes to the development of sports in our land. Their effort, their courage, and their dedication are an example for everyone. The award winners tonight have proven to be strong, committed, and brave. Their work is fundamental, and it is our responsibility to recognize it, and that is why today, we thank them for their dedication and work, but our commitment to them goes beyond this event: it is a job for every day."
Ten categories
The gala, in this second edition, presents a novelty in its format, with the inclusion of recognitions in ten categories, distributing thirty awards among individual athletes and sports entities. This new format seeks to give greater visibility, highlighting both emerging talent and the trajectory of consolidated figures, in addition to the commitment of clubs and organizations in promoting women's sports activity in the archipelago.
The award in the grassroots sports category went to the Colegio Dominicas de Gran Canaria, for its work in promoting rhythmic and artistic gymnastics in school age, and to the Academia de Vóley de Tenerife, for its contribution to the development of women's volleyball training.
In the functional diversity category, the winners were athletes Gara Fuentes (Gran Canaria) and Sonia Ramos de Ganzo (Tenerife), in recognition of their outstanding sports achievements in 2024.
Likewise, in the best sports coach category, the award was shared by four outstanding professionals: Sara Martí Trujillo (canoeing, Gran Canaria), Samantha Tormo Mongan (football, Tenerife), Ana Hernández Reyes (sailing, Lanzarote) and Delioma González Hernández (triathlon, La Graciosa).
In the support for women's sports category, which recognizes the work of clubs and organizations for their strong support for women's sports, the Club Baloncesto Islas Canarias Spar Gran Canaria and the DISA Foundation were distinguished. Also, within the collective awards, the one that recognizes the best sports management went to two clubs: Rocasa Remudas Gran Canaria and Guayota Ultimate Club de Tenerife.
The recognition of the greatest projection, aimed at young talents under the age of majority who have excelled in their disciplines, was awarded to the taekwondo athlete from Gran Canaria, Adriana Rodríguez Toledo, the beach volleyball player from Tenerife, Andrea Rodríguez Lorenzo, and the skateboarder from Lanzarote, Abbie Burns.
The vernacular sports also had a prominent place in this gala, where entities committed to the preservation of traditional Canary Island sports were awarded. In the category of native sport, the recognition focused on Canary wrestling, with five awards given to the most outstanding clubs of 2024: Santa Rita (Gran Canaria), Tinecheide (Lanzarote), Faro de Jandía (Fuerteventura), Benchomo (Tenerife) and Tenercina (La Palma).
In the Olympic values category, which highlights exemplary sports careers based on principles such as solidarity and respect, the artistic swimmer Thais Henríquez Torres (Gran Canaria) and the taekwondo athlete and mountaineer Reyes de Miguel Renedo (Tenerife) were awarded.
The recognition of the best athlete of the year highlighted the achievements of six athletes in their respective disciplines: Lara Cellier Henríquez (kayak, Gran Canaria), Alba Alonso Frey (paddle surfing, Fuerteventura), Marta Mansito Valverde (sailing, Tenerife), Paola Pereyra Erramuspe (jiu-jitsu, La Gomera), Diana López Gómez (pole dance, Lanzarote) and Selina Abreu Rodríguez (taekwondo, El Hierro).
Finally, the award in the sports legends category recognized the career of figures who have left an indelible mark on the history of sports in the Canary Islands. In this edition, Marta Mangué González (handball, Gran Canaria), Michelle Alonso Morales (swimming, Tenerife), Aroa Merino Betancort (athletics, Lanzarote) and Miguelina Padrón Herrera (weightlifting, La Gomera) were recognized.
