The event brought together the municipal sports community to celebrate the successes achieved over the past year, showcasing the diversity of sports activities within the municipality. More than 160 athletes and 40 teams were recognized.
The ceremony featured special participation from two local athletes: Miguel Díaz Martín, a hammer throw specialist, and Natividad Peñate Díaz, a sport shooting practitioner. Both shared their career experiences and the values of sport, such as perseverance, discipline, and effort.
Miguel Díaz Martín boasts a distinguished career with 13 medals in Canary Islands Championships, 11 participations in Spanish Championships, and two national sub-championships in the U20 category. He holds the U20 Canary Islands record in hammer throw (7.26 kg) with a mark of 55.08 meters.
Natividad Peñate Díaz competes in Compak Sporting and game shooting, disciplines within clay pigeon shooting. Both athletes highlighted the importance of values like perseverance, discipline, effort, and camaraderie.
The mayor of Candelaria, Mari Brito, expressed the municipality's pride in having athletes who represent Candelaria in island, regional, national, and international competitions. She emphasized that the recognition celebrates not only sporting results but also the effort and self-improvement behind each achievement.
Brito also thanked the work of clubs, sports schools, families, and the Department of Sports, underscoring the role of sport as a tool for health, education, and community building. She noted that Candelaria is an active municipality with athletes competing beyond the island, who will always have the support of their town.
The Councilor for Sports, Manuel González, highlighted the importance of sports in Candelaria from the early stages through the Municipal Sports Schools, which offer 30 disciplines to over 1,700 minors, and the Sports-Health program for seniors, with more than 300 participants.
The event reaffirmed Candelaria's commitment to sports at all levels and the recognition of those who contribute to its growth through their effort and dedication. Achievements of athletes such as Kim Dávila Bresson (artistic gymnastics), Pablo Arroyo Díaz (frontenis), Joaquín M. Macia Alonso (swimming), Patricia Martin Cabrera (boxing), Adsebuma Mejias Soto and Miguel Prieto Almeida (skating), among many others, were mentioned.
