The Hard Rock Hotel was the scene for the VIII Adeje Sports Gala on Friday February 24th with the borough naming their top stars for the year, gymnast Desiré Viera Martín and beach volley ball player Óscar Jiménez Gutierrez. The borough’s clubs and athletes were also congratulated for their achievements during the year.
Desiré Viera Martín, 15 years old, is considered the top her field nationally in rhythmic gymnastics, has won numerous medals and individual titles, and is an athlete with a top-class future ahead of her in the sport. For his part Óscar Jiménez Gutierrez is one of the best players of beach volleyball at European level, with a number of national titles already won, and at 25 years of age is among the elite in the sport in Spain.
During the evening there were many awards handed out – to the youngest sportsperson Sergio Alayón González (3) who is signed up to the ‘jugando por el deporte’ and the oldest registered athlete, Margarita Herrera Rodriguez, who takes Pilates classes in Fañabe.
The ‘Juego Limpio ‘ (clean sports) prize went to Victoria Rivero Siverio and Kayla Sirica from Club Tenesay. The prize recognises sporting values which are as important at results, and mirror the importance athletes must give to respect for the rules and the enjoyment of the sport above all.
Resilience was also recognised with an award for Candelaria Rodríguez, an example of perseverance and persistence in the face of breast cancer, continuing with her sporting life during that battle.
Getting to the top of your chosen discipline is never easy, requires persistence, and the event paid tribute to a number of Adeje sporting stars who have done just that, Diego Fernández Trujillo, who recently debuted with Canarias Cantera Base basketball club, and Javier Alonso Bello, who is under professional contact to CD Tenerife football club. The key message here was that both stars began their sporting career here, in Adeje’s municipal sports clubs at a young age, learning to enjoy sport as well as train and progress.
Jordan Abreu Dorta was also given a special award for his contribution to sports in Adeje over many years, and his dedication to sport in the borough. He was also recently named as the delegate to the Tenerife South Football Federation.
The prize for sporting event of the year when to the Adeje pigeon club who celebrated their 12th annual event in Adeje bringing together pigeon fanciers from all over the country, and beyond. The space that they have created for the sport in Adeje has become a reference point for racers nationally.
There was a special prize for Spanish karate star and Olympic champion Sandra Sanchez Jaime, who uses Adeje’s installations for training. Also present at the event were the president of the Canarian Karate federation, José Pérez García, and the president of the Spanish federation and vice president of the Spanish Olympic committee, Antonio Moreno Marqueño, who also presented the poster for the Ibero-Amerian Championships which will take place in July in Adeje.
Juan Antonio Carballo and Cristina Lorenzo Ibañez received a solidarity award for their work in areas of conservation and respect for nature over the years.
Finally Adeje’s clubs, training teams and the borough’s sportspersons were thanked for their dedication and commitment.
