The award winners received the distinction from athletes and colleagues with whom they have a special connection
The 25th anniversary of the Sports Technification Centre of the Balearic Islands was recognised.
The President of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, and the Councillor for Social Affairs and Sports, Fina Santiago, presided over the fifth edition of the Balearic Islands Sports Gala on Monday, at which the Esports IB 2022 Awards were presented. On this occasion, the awards were given to the best sportspeople and clubs of the 2021/2022 season, with which the Government values the effort and talent of the sportspeople and clubs of the Balearic Islands.
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As for the winners of the Esports IB Awards, those in charge of presenting the distinctions were sportsmen and women and colleagues with whom the winners have a special bond.
During her speech, Francina Armengol thanked “the men and women who dedicate themselves to sport in the Balearic Islands for being an international benchmark and the best ambassadors we have”. The President of the Government extended her thanks “to the families, since having a family member dedicated to sport also involves sacrifices and requires constant support and generosity”, as well as to “everyone who is part of the sporting world: associations, clubs, coaches, trainers, trainers…. It’s all a great mechanism that makes us have an elite international sport”.
Councillor Santiago claimed that “being an Autonomous Community where 1.2 million people live, we have such a high level of sport, with many world champions”, and stressed that today’s event serves to “bring together all the most outstanding sportsmen and women of the Islands to celebrate the success of Balearic sport”.
Motorcycling rider Izan Guevara received the Esports IB Male Promise award from Paquita Ruiz, motorcycling rider and seven-time Spanish Superbike champion.
Basketball player Noa Djiu received the Esports IB Female Promise award from José Luis Arberola, technical director of the CTEIB’s Basketball Technification Programme.
Violeta del Reino (sailing) received the award for Best Female Adapted Sports Athlete Esports IB, which was collected by Sergi Roig, a sailor and friend of hers, on behalf of the president of the Balearic Sailing Federation, Catalina Darder.
The Best male adapted sportsman Esports IB, swimmer Xavi Torres, received the award from Maria Castañer, Cornelius Atticus 2021, who has dedicated his whole life to adapted swimming and the social integration of people with functional diversity.
The Best Esports IB coach award, Silvia Riera (badminton), was presented by Marta Lliteras, best female coach of the year 2017.
The paddler and world champion Joan Toni Moreno presented the Best Esports IB coach award for Kiko Martín (canoeing).
The award for Best Men’s Team Esports IB for Mallorca Palma Futsal (football) was presented to José Tirado, the club’s general manager, by Alfonso Díaz, CEO of RCD Mallorca.
The award for Best Women’s Team Esports IB for Avarca Menorca (volleyball) was received by its president, Andreu Hernández, from Ernesto Rodríguez, technical director of the CTEIB’s volleyball technification programme.
The “Posam valors a l’esport” Esports IB award, for Tatiana Ferreira (Football for Equality Association), was presented by the former president of the Balearic Football Federation, Miquel Bestard, Cornelius Aticus 2012.
The last three awards presented during the Balearic Islands Sports Gala were the Best male sportsman Esports IB for the motorcycling rider Augusto Fernández, which his parents collected and the president of the Balearic Islands Motorcycling Federation, Rafel Cañellas.
The award for Best Female Sportswoman Esports IB, for Mavi Garcia, was presented by her brother and sportsman Luis Garcia, who encouraged the cyclist to dedicate herself to the sport.
And finally, the honorary award Esports IB, for Rafael Márquez (handball), was presented to the president of the Balearic Handball Federation, Raúl Fullana, by the president of the Government of the Balearic Islands.
But this year’s Balearic Islands Sports Gala began with the recognition of the 25 years of the Sports Technification Centre of the Balearic Islands (CTEIB) and each of its 23 technification programmes and their representatives. During these years the CTEIB has been the cradle of important names in Balearic sport, some of them Olympians, such as the tennis player Rafa Nadal, the swimmer Xavi Torres, the cyclist Albert Torres, the athletes Caridad Jerez and David Bustos, the swimmers Joan Lluís Pons, Maria Fuster and Melani Costa, basketball player Noa Djiu, boxer Youba Sissoko, wrestler Fran Sánchez Parra, sailors Paula Barceló and Joan Cardona, windsurfer Mateo Sanz, motorcyclists Izan Guevara, Joan Mir and Augusto Fernández, gymnasts Nicolau Mir and Cintia Rodríguez and canoeist Sete Benavides.
In fact, Benavides received one of the six mentions for sporting merit that President Armengol and Councillor Santiago presented at the beginning of the ceremony, in his case for the Olympic bronze medal in the C1 200 event, which was not made official until 10 years after the 2012 Olympic Games. He also received a special recognition from the Government, which was presented to him by his fellow medallist Marcus Cooper. Other mentions for sporting merit have also been awarded: Marga Perelló (sailing), as ILCA 6 class U17 world champion, Paula Barceló (sailing), third in the 49erFx class world championship, Úrsula Pueyo (canoeing), as champion in the Spanish Championship PV3 500m and 200m, HC Ibiza (handball), for qualifying to play the Ascent Phase to the ASOBAL league, and Constancia CD (football), for its 100 years since the foundation of the club.
The event, which was held at the Palacio de Congresos de Palma, featured musical performances by the musicians Jaume Anglada, who expressly composed the song that opened the event, and Valentín Mendoza with Àngela Aso.