Pedro Sánchez announces the creation of the Spanish Sports Executive Committee, a planning body "at the service of our athletes"

Headquarters of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, announced the creation of the "Spanish Sports Executive Committee," which will be "comprised of the Higher Sports Council, the Spanish Olympic Committee, and the Spanish Paralympic Committee," and which will carry out its work-within the framework of the Higher Sports Council-in "planning and directing strategic initiatives at the service of our athletes and federations."

Pedro Sánchez, who thus announced one of the main mandates of the "Sports Model" report presented today, regarding the need to modernise and adapt sports governance, pointed out that this new body shares "another deep conviction": that "Olympic and Paralympic sports move forward hand in hand." "Spain," he affirmed, "will not turn back. There is no such thing as sport A and sport B, a primary and a secondary model. There is only one Spanish sport: inclusive, modern, competitive, and with a vision for the future."

It is therefore a matter of "moving together-the Olympic Committee, the Paralympic Committee, and the Higher Sports Council-so that Spanish sport can play its best game in the coming years," he stated.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

For this, the "budgetary effort" made by the government is also important. In this regard, he highlighted that, "in the last seven years alone, we have invested 1 billion euros more than was allocated to sports policy under the previous government, which has served to foster talent, improve facilities, promote equality, and modernise our sports system."

The president also stressed that "this effort reached a milestone of great symbolic value" when Spain became "the only country in the European Union to incorporate sport among the driving policies of the Recovery Plan after the pandemic," thanks to a "vision of sport" as "a lever for transformation and local development, with a strong impact on the territory."

During his speech, he pointed out that Spain is experiencing one of the best periods in its history in women's, men's, and grassroots sport. Our country "is not only one of the great global leaders in soft power, but also in what many are now calling sport power." In fact, "sport is probably one of our country's best calling cards in the world," he added.

Group photo of the presentation event for the 'Sports Model' project | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

After recalling the unemployment figures and record Social Security contributor numbers for November (21.8 million) released this week, which clearly demonstrate that "Spain is not standing still" and is "moving forward strongly," Pedro Sánchez indicated that "nearly 190,000 people are currently working in sectors related to sports: 47% more than were working in this field seven years ago."

He also mentioned that last year Spain sent a delegation of 382 athletes to the Paris Games, more than half of whom were women, concluding that "the true podium we have conquered is that of an inclusive, egalitarian, and supportive Spanish sport. Anchored, therefore, in the values that define us as a society."

The presentation, which was attended by the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, also included speeches by the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco; The general director of the Spanish Paralympic Committee, Francisco Botía, and Alberto Palomar, director of the 'Sports Model' project.

Non official translation