Sailing and kayaking recognized at the XXII Sport Gala

At the gala there were special mentions to the sailor Nacho Baltasar (Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita) and the paddlers Marcus Cooper (Real Club Náutico de Palma) and Sete Benavides (Reial Club Nàutic Port de Pollença).

This monday it was celebrated the XXII Sport Gala 2024 at the Palma Auditorium, in which there were recognized 270 sportsmen between the ages of 6 and 16, that have achieved more than 500 podiums in national and international sport competitions.

Has innovation, the sport act widens the recognition until the third place on the podium in national championships. Moreover, the Palma Auditorium launches the stage open to the public.

This year, with an eye on the global sporting framework of Paris 2024, the gala was dedicated to the theme of Olympism. And in the Auditorium paraded possible candidates from Mallorca in the Olympics, as well as some veterans who already had their moment. Among them, it is worth mentioning the canoeists Sete Benavides (RRCNPP) and Marcus Cooper (RCNP) and the sailor Nacho Baltasar (CN Sa Ràpita); among other athletes.

The president of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, stressed that "the awards we are giving today are a recognition to young athletes in thirty modalities, which are a projection of sporting values beyond the island's borders".

The Consell de Mallorca has delivered four special awards, with a significant novelty: the nominations have been submitted by sports federations and entities, and voted by the Standing Committee of the Sports Council of Mallorca (COESMA), a consultative and participatory body of the institution. Among them is the 'Entity' award for the Club Náutico Cala Gamba, for its promotion of lateen sailing.

El presidente del Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, ha destacado que “los premios que hoy concedemos son un reconocimiento a los jóvenes deportistas de una treintena de modalidades, que son una proyección de valores deportivos más allá de las fronteras isleñas”.

Other than the four main awards, the Consell de Mallorca has made some special mentions, one of them to Marcus Cooper, for the history and outstanding achievements of the Mallorcan canoeist, in a year in which he is among the favorites to be the Spanish flag bearer at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, where he would be the second islander to achieve it, after the tennis player Rafa Navidad.

The second vice-president and councilor of Environment, Rural Environment and Sports, Pedro Bestard, pointed out that "we had never awarded so many podiums, and we want to reach the third position in national championships in Spain, also valuable, if we take into account the difficulty of the competitive field in which he moves".