Melani Costa, Sete Benavides, Rudy Fernández, Rafael Nadal and Xavi Torres have received the honorary award in recognition of a career full of sporting successes.
The President of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Jaume Bauzà, presided over the seventh edition of the Gala del Deporte de las Illes Balears (Sports Gala of the Balearic Islands) this Friday, at which the Esports IB 2024 Awards were presented. Twelve prizes were awarded, six special mentions and the work of retired sports journalists in recent years was recognised.
As for the winners of the Premis Esports IB, the awards were presented by sportsmen women and colleagues with whom the winners have a special bond.
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The Government pays tribute to the best sportsmen and sportswomen of the Balearic Islands in 2024
President Prohens said that this is a night that fills us with pride for those who represent the best of our islands, and who, year after year, show us that we are a land of champions’. In this sense, she congratulated the award winners ‘for their talent and effort, and for being an example for the generations to come and for being the pride of the citizens of the Balearic Islands’.
Prohens also dedicated a few words to the retired sports journalists, whom he thanked for their work as a ‘loudspeaker for Balearic sportsmen and women’. ‘Their chronicles, news and live reports have brought us closer to the best moments in the history of Balearic sport, and their voices and their signature will always remain in our memory’.
Minister Bauzà pointed out that ‘we cannot forget that sport is much more than physical activity. It is a fundamental element in the development of our society. It is a key factor in the education of our children. Bauzà also asked that ‘these fundamental principles should not be threatened by negative attitudes, such as verbal violence in the stands; unacceptable attitudes that we must all work together to expel from our fields and sports centres’.
Six sportsmen and women received the first mentions for sporting merit: Catalina Riera (slingshot shooting), Real Club Náutico de Palma (sailing and canoeing), Maria Fiol (marathon), Valentina Ferreyra (cycling), Malen Sart (underwater fishing), Juan Cardona (sailing).
The Rafa Nadal Foundation has been distinguished with the ‘We put values into Sport’ award for its social and sporting function. In the promising category, the men’s award went to Adrián Torres, Àlex Huguet and Michael Enabuele (3×3 Basketball), and the women’s award went to the sailors Neus Fernández and Martina Gomila.
Juana Camilion, Olympic silver medallist in Paris 2024 in women’s 3×3 Basketball, and Marcus Cooper, bronze medallist in Paris 2024 in K4 500, received the award for best athlete of the Balearic Islands.
In the men’s adapted sports category, the award went to the athlete Joan Munar, who won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The Spanish adapted paddle tennis champion, Sara Guasch, received the award for the best female adapted sportswoman.
In the category of best women’s club, Club Voley Avarca Menorca, which this year won the Spanish Supercopa for the second time. For its part, Illes Balears Palma Futsal picked up the award for best men’s team, recognised as the best futsal club in the world.
The team’s coach, Antonio Vadillo, also received the award for best male coach, while in the women’s category, the award went to canoeing coach Betty Menéndez.
The joint nomination for sports retirement of Melani Costa, Sete Benavides, Rudy Fernández, Rafael Nadal and Xavi Torres received the honorary award in recognition of a career full of sporting success on the part of the winners.
The ceremony, which was held at the Conservatory of Music of the Balearic Islands, included musical performances by the group Brindis and a monologue by the comedian Jaime Gili.