Eight extraordinary ambassadors will sponsor the social project of the COE and the Government of Spain

Lydia Valentín, Gervasio Deferr, Fermín Cacho, Tania Lamarca, Alberto Fernández, Teresa Portela, Joan Lino and Marta Mangué They are the first athletes chosen to serve as ambassadors of the social project that Government of Spainoh he Spanish Olympic CommitteeThey are carrying out the construction of twenty-five sports facilities in different Refugee Centers in our country.

He president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco is in charge of saying what this pioneering project consists of that aims to accommodate all the people who through sports are looking for a new opportunity, after building the first sports center for refugees in the world: “With this initiative all those people have a bright future as athletes, but they will have a faster and more inclusive social life. “They will feel appreciated, loved and supported in a new country.”

Regarding the selection of the eight ambassadors, Alejandro Blanco assured that “they were chosen for their qualities, their personalities, for what they are as people and for everything they have done for and for the sport.” “This work will be a model throughout the world. We have to make sure that through sport Spain is more inclusive, more social and more egalitarian,” he concluded.

“Thanks to the COE and the athletes who joined us because I think what we have achieved is worth it. The effort we are making and the link between sport and migration will achieve an integration that will generate a very positive dynamic for society, both for those present and for those to come,” declared the Minister of Integration, Social Security and Migration before adding that “it is important to illustrate this commitment that the COE and the IOC have to the refugees to integrate them into countries through sport.”

For his part, the Minister of Culture and Sports emphasized the importance of achieving a better world: “The important thing is not just to win or even just to participate, the most important thing is to contribute to social improvement. “Sport brings out the best in everyone and now we are trying to bring out the best in our society.” And in relation to the ambassadors, Miquel Iceta has recognized their work: “anyone who gives back to society the recognition they received during their career is truly enriching themselves. “You make us happy when you win, but even more so when you help us all be better.” “Spain will be the first country in the world to commit itself to a program like this and it says a lot about us. With every initiative proposed by the International Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco and the COE was the first to raise their hands and get involved,” he concluded.

And he also talked about getting involved with refugees. mayor of San Martín del Rey Aurelio: “For us in Sotrondio it is a duty to provide help and shelter to all the people who need it and sport is something fundamental to achieve integration between the arrivals and the neighbors.”

The eight athletes selected as ambassadors are happy, excited and proud to be a part of this project. “It is important that we support these solidarity initiatives to make a better world. We do our part with our image to help people train to get a medal for our country,” said Lydia Valentín .

Joan Lino He admitted being an example of what integration is: “I integrated into Spain through sport. Sport opened its arms for me to combine and thanks to which I have reached the successes that I have achieved. “I have become a better person and a person who can spread those values.”

In that sense, Gervasio Deferr He emphasized that “it is appreciated that a country opens its arms to you and welcomes you when you leave without wanting to leave. It is imperative that the visible and important faces of our sport support great initiatives like this.”

Marta Mangue He admitted that he knows firsthand how refugees feel: “My father was one of them and because of that I had a better life. Now I want to help them and show them that there is a better life.”

“I can’t imagine being an athlete without being a person. My medal was many years ago, but when I look at that medal it reminds me of the values ​​I got and this project allows me to deliver those values. “We will fight for this project like we fight for those medals,” he assured. Tania Lamarca.

In its part, Fermin Cacho He defined his work as an ambassador: “Sport does not avoid problems and we can help them so that through sport they feel better and gradually close that wound. Let them start a new life through sport.”

This idea was pioneered by Teresa Portela: “I can’t imagine my life without sport, it has given me everything. I am a great defender of sport and its unifying role. The beauty of this sport is that it is not only for refugees, but it is a point of unity for all citizens.

In conclusion, Alberto Fernandez He is happy to be a part of this project: “When Alejandro called me, I said yes. “I don’t know what the project consists of, but my answer is yes because everything Alejandro Blanco does is done in good faith.”

This project is structured within the framework of the collaboration that exists between Spanish Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and the Olympic Refugee Foundation to promote the sports integration of migrants cared for in the reception system. With the signing of this agreement, which took place in December 2022, both entities are committed to the construction of facilities and spaces that will strengthen participation in sports in refugee centers, with the aim of promoting the integration of users. in the localities where they are located.