Judith Pena | May 19, 2023
The candidate for the presidency for the Popular Party, Martín Torrijos, met with Panamanian athletes to listen to their concerns regarding the abandonment they have had in recent years.
Torrijos said that he will need everyone’s help to resume the sport. “The active participation of athletes is vital for the preparation and execution of the national sports transformation plan,” said presidential candidate Martín Torrijos Espino during this conversation with active and retired athletes, where the common denominator was the lack of state support, infrastructures and maintenance.
Exponent of more than a dozen disciplines, led by former soccer players Julio César and Jorge Dely Valdés, Víctor René Mendieta and Pércival Piggott; The former major leaguer Olmedo Sáez, and the Paralympic athlete Ibeth Valdés, explained to the former President of the Republic the main problems they face for the practice and development of the sport that makes them more competitive.
“I was anxious to be here and get rid of that feeling that I have had for years, because Panamanian sports are a disaster, they need profound changes, just like the country,” said baseball player Sáez.
He affirmed that the Panamanian athlete does not have a voice or vote in the national federations, consequently, he is not heard about his needs for the practice of the sport.
If the situation of sport for athletes without disabilities is disastrous, it is worse for the Paralympic branch, due to the lack of adequate support and facilities. “It is not easy to put on the Panama shirt, our athletes are wild, even so, they have given seven medals to the country,” said Ibeth Valdés.
Meanwhile, Julio and Jorge Dely Valdés agreed that in addition to the lack of adequate facilities, there is a shortage of personnel to care for the athletes and to train local coaches. For example, they said, in the case of soccer, they must go abroad, because there are no trainers here.
“It is not only important to have infrastructures, but also to have trained personnel”, stressed Julio César.
The junior high jump team and recent Central American gold medalist, David Bósquez, expressed his great satisfaction that Torrijos Espino has listened to the athletes.
“It feels good to be heard; of that human relationship that has been lost with politicians, and it seems to me that these dynamics should be repeated. There are a million things that have to be done, but if we focus on the most important ones, we are on the right track,” he said.
After listening to each presentation by the athletes, the candidate for the Presidency for the Popular Party (PP) affirmed that this is the opportunity to redesign the country and sport in a joint effort.
“I’m going to need the help of all of you and I invite you to dream together of a better Panama and the resumption of the sport,” he said. He said the country has athletes because, in and of themselves, “they are excellent,” government aid “is depressing.”
He stressed the medals and glories of Panamanian athletes are due “to your efforts, rather than government support or the existence of sports facilities.”
In addition to this diagnosis made by the athletes themselves, there will be a workshop to set the next steps for the drafting and execution of the sport transformation plan in the country. “Together we will transform Panama and sports,” concluded the former president of the nation who, as always, was accompanied by his wife Vivian Fernández de Torrijos.
