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The XIX Gala of Sport UCAM brings together more than 500 athletes in the Temple of the Monastery of Los Jerónimos to celebrate the successes of the season
It coincides with the end of the European project ESTPORT, led by the UCAM, in which universities from the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece and Malta
José Luis Mendoza, president of the UCAM, was accompanied by Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, and José Ramón Lete, president of the Consejo Superior de Deportes
The 7 of June of 2017 happens to join the list of historical dates for the Catholic University of Murcia.
In the same day, the UCAM has celebrated its XIX Sports Gala, with the presence of several of its most recognized elite athletes, and the end of the European ESTPORT project, whereby four European universities have known the UCAM model of Dual career and tutoring athletes so they can study without neglecting their training and competitions.
In a day like this, in which the European Union has endorsed and applauded the work of the Catholic University for sport, the two most important sports institutions in the country could not miss: the Spanish Olympic Committee and the Higher Sports Council.
Alejandro Blanco, president of the COE, is well acquainted with the work of the UCAM by athletes and has made it clear that "it is a very important moment in our history. We are explaining this work to other European universities so that they can apply it in This University is an example in Spain, in Europe and in the world ".
In addition, he recalled that the president of the UCAM has joined the COE: "In each General Assembly we make few additions but this year we have had José Luis Mendoza to represent the clubs and Vicente del Bosque for coaches."
José Ramón Lete, president of the CSD, commented that "the UCAM's commitment to sports is surprising. In this dual career project for athletes to study we are also involved and I commit to reaching out to The Catholic University of Murcia.We are aware in the Superior Council of Sports that our mission is not only that athletes can compete, we must also accompany them in an academic training so that they have an alternative when they finish their sporting cycle. Pivots on which we want to cement our work and I am glad that the UCAM already works in this direction with Europe ".
José Luis Mendoza, President of the UCAM, thanked the presence of the top leaders of Spanish sport: "For us it is important that the Spanish Olympic Committee and the Higher Sports Council support and involve us so that young athletes can be trained and Have a half-life when they retire from high competition. "
A gala with Olympic color
During the XIX Sports Gala UCAM, which has more than 800 participants, the three presidents have been giving the awards to the most outstanding athletes of the University.
On the one hand, a tribute was paid to the Olympic and Paralympic athletes who obtained a medal or diploma in Rio 16: Mireia Belmonte, Teresa Perales, Alfonso Cabello, Maialen Chourraut, Cristian Toro, Marcus Cooper, Eva Calvo, Artemi Gavezou, José Manuel Ruiz, Joel González, David Casinos, Javier Hernanz and Facundo Campazzo.
Along with them, there have been two coaches who were also in Rio 16 and who are part of the successes of our athletes: José Antonio Carrillo (coach of march that has taken several Murcia to the Olympic Games) and Fred Vergnoux (coach of Mireia Belmonte).
But beyond the brilliance of Rio, it has also rewarded the athletes who have stood out in different international competitions during the last months: Miguel Ángel López, Juanfran Guevara, Pepe Carbonell, Pablo Abián, Andreu Blanes, Melani Costa, Duane da Rocha, Gisela Pulido, Paco Cubelos, Borja Vivas and Úrsula Ruiz.
Another important moment has been the homage to two athletes who are no longer active but who are still linked to UCAM and who made us vibrate with their successes: Antonio Peñalver and Jennifer Pareja.
Coming out of the big foci of international competitions, in the 2017 Spanish University Championships, with 121 medals, the Catholic University has returned to be the first in the national medal, well above the rest of Spanish universities.
It is the sixth consecutive year that the UCAM is first and the fourth that exceeds one hundred medals, an unprecedented success in the history of Spanish sport.
All the teams and athletes who have achieved these successes have also had their place in the gala.
The fight against doping, in the DNA of the UCAM
During the XIX Gala of Sport of the UCAM, Pedro Manonelles, director of the Chair of Sports Medicine of the UCAM, has read a manifesto against the use of prohibited practices in sport.
The Catholic University of Murcia works in several investigations to fight the doping and carries out an important work of divulging among the athletes to promote the fair game.
Mireia Belmonte: "Finishing the race will be like winning a medal"
Coinciding with the XIX Sports Gala UCAM, the Monastery of Los Jerónimos hosted the final event of the ESTPORT (Development an innovative European Sport Tutorship model for the dual career of athletes - Development of an innovative European model for sports tutoring and career (University of Thessaly), the United Kingdom (Leeds Trinity University), the University of Thessaly, the University of Thessaly, the University of Thessaly, the University of Thessaly, And Malta (University of Malta).
Its objective in the last two academic years has been to establish a European model that allows universities to help elite athletes so that they can combine their studies with training, travel and competitions.
The result of these two years of work has been reflected in an official manual that establishes the most important guidelines for developing a system based on the work of tutors of athletes and in the dual career.
At the roundtable discussion attended by athletes from the five countries involved, very interesting conclusions have been drawn.
Mireia Belmonte, Olympic champion at Rio 16, stressed that "sport and studies share many aspects but the main one is the relationship between effort and success. It is impossible to succeed in studies or in sports if you do not strive. I have a lot of respect for all the people who have finished a university degree. I still see it far but when I finish the race it will be like winning a medal. "
In addition, regarding the UCAM model that allows her to combine studies and sports, she highlighted "the work of my tutor, María Miralles. She has a lot of patience with me and she knows how to motivate me at key moments."
Artemi Gavezou (Spain), Cameron Corbishley (United Kingdom), Ludovica Serafini (Italy), Amy Micallef (Malta) and Anastasia Galiatsatou (Greece) also took part in this panel discussion.
The ESTPORT project, co-financed by the European Union, has been made possible by the joint work of the UCAM Sports Faculty and the International Projects Office (OPRI).
Source: UCAM
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