The Insular Service of Sports of the Cabildo of Lanzarote celebrated on the night of this past Monday the Sports Gala 2026, an event that gathered in the Jameos del Agua auditorium representatives of island sports to recognize the trajectory of athletes, clubs, and entities.
In it, in addition to the awardees that had been announced months ago, the jury's minutes were read to award individual and collective achievements, both in the female and male categories. The presenters of the event, Marta Armas and Ian Montgomery, read the decision that awarded as recipients Dylan Donegan (surf); to the Club Balonmano Zonzamas; to Abbie Skiba (skate); and to the duo of sailors Leonardo Armas and Miguel Bethencourt.
The event also featured the participation of international triathlete Javier Gómez Noya, ambassador of this edition of the gala, whose sports career was recognized during the event.
Seven awards to recognize the work in Lanzarotean sport
During the event, the seven main awards of the Sports Gala 2026 were presented:
1. The Quarry Work Award went to the Club Deportivo El Aljibe, for its constant work in the training of young athletes in mountain biking.
2. The Human Values Award went to Salvador Hernández Villalba, in recognition of his commitment and dedication to sport from a social and educational perspective.
3. In the Research category, the recognition went to Rayco Cancio Lasso, for his contribution to knowledge and dissemination in the sports field.
4. The Indigenous Sports Award distinguished the Unión Sur Yaiza Wrestling Club “Joaquín Rodríguez”, for its work in the promotion and conservation of Canarian wrestling.
5. The Sports Promotion Award went to Hang On Climbing Lanzarote, for its promotion of climbing and physical activity among the population.
6. For its part, the Best Sports Event Award went to Haría Titán, a consolidated event in the island's sports calendar.
7. The gala culminated with the Sports Legend Award, which recognized the career of Kenneth Gasque, a key figure in the international projection of Lanzarote as a sports destination.
Recognition to historic clubs of island sport
The gala began with the performance of the group Malpeis and a tribute to three clubs that celebrate important anniversaries in the sports scene of the island.
They received this recognition: the San José Obrero Handball Club, which celebrates 50 years of history; the Tinajo Sports Club, also on its 50th anniversary; and the Teguise Sports Club, which celebrates its centenary as one of Lanzarote's most emblematic sports entities.
In this way, from the Insular Sports Service, the work carried out by all the boards of directors of the three clubs during their half and full century of existence was highlighted, as well as family members and athletes who have competed under the colors of each club.
Presence of public representatives
The ceremony was attended by the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, and the counselor of Physical Activity and Sports, Juan Monzón, who presented the different awards. In addition, different authorities were also present, such as the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Astrid Pérez; the vice president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Jesús Tovar; and the general directors of Sports, José Francisco Pérez; of Indigenous Sports, Lorena Hernández; and of the ESSSCAN, José Montelongo, from the Government of the Canary Islands; as well as deputies for the island of Lanzarote, counselors of the insular Corporation and representatives of the seven municipalities of the island.
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, put in value the fundamental role that sport plays in "the identity, international projection and economic development of Lanzarote and La Graciosa", underlining the effort and capacity for overcoming of the Lanzarotean athletes. Thus, he defended "the institution's commitment to supporting clubs and athletes, and not only through the Sports Area, but also through entities such as SPEL or the Tourist Centers".
The president emphasized the improvement of sports infrastructures undertaken during the current term, and highlighted the potential that Lanzarote and La Graciosa have as international benchmarks for sports tourism. Likewise, he congratulated all the nominees and award winners for proudly representing the island inside and outside of it, and had a special remembrance for the sports journalist Jesús Lasso Cabrera, who recently passed away.
For his part, the Councilor for Physical Activity and Sports, Juan Monzón, stressed that “this gala is a tribute to all the people who contribute to the development of sport in Lanzarote, from grassroots to high performance.” “From the area, we strive to look beyond the results, to value the effort of both athletes and clubs, as well as their families. Many components come together to achieve success, and we, from the Corporation, must function as facilitators and never as an obstacle,” pointed out the councilor, who also wanted to highlight “the effort and work carried out by the human team of the Insular Sports Service who, together with the presenters and the production of the event, has made possible the celebration of a new edition.”
The sports feats of the year
During the second part of the gala, the Sports Feats 2026 were announced, which recognize the most outstanding achievements of Lanzarotean sport during the last year.
In the Male Collective Sports Achievement category, the nominees were the La Graciosa Futsal team, the sailors Leonardo Armas and Miguel Bethencourt, and the team formed by Alberto Morales, Miguel Morales and Gabriel Gallego, resulting winner the sailors Leonardo Armas and Miguel Bethencourt.
In Female Collective Sports Feat, the nominees were the Zonzamas Handball Club, the I.L. Gimnos Sports Club and the Mahay San José Handball Club, with the award going to XX.
The Male Individual Sports Feat featured the nominations of surfer Dylan Donegan Dos Santos, mixed martial arts fighter Hecher Sosa, and handball player Miguel Ángel Martín, with Dylan Donegan being the winner.
Finally, in Female Individual Sports Achievement, the nominees were paddler Ariadne Giménez, surfer Sol Borelli and skater Abbie Nicolle, with Abbie Nicolle being the winner.
Tribute to Guayo Rodríguez
The ceremony also included an emotional tribute to Alejandro Manuel Rodríguez Caraballo “Guayo”, historic voice of Lanzarotean sport for decades in numerous events on the island.
Likewise, during the gala a video was projected in memory of the people linked to Lanzarotean sport who passed away during the last year.
The Sports Gala 2026 once again brought together athletes, clubs, coaches, and families on a night dedicated to celebrating the talent, effort, and values that define Lanzarote's sport.