The Vallehermoso Stadium has become the epicenter of sport in Madrid and Spain this afternoon. In the Chamberí district campus The inaugural act of Madrid World Capital of Sport 2022 has taken placewhich has been attended by numerous local public authorities as well as well-known faces of the sport.
Mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has been present at the gala. “Being the World Capital of Sport 2022 teaches us which is the path we have to follow as a society” after the “devastating pandemic” that has been experienced and is currently being experienced.
“I want for the people of Madrid what I want for my daughters. And I know to what extent sport is decisive in the quality of life we have”, pointed out Begoña Villacís. In addition, the deputy mayor has not missed the opportunity to emphasize the relevance of mental health in sportsomething that the pandemic “has revealed” as “one of the most important problems” that must be faced.
The most recognized sports ambassadors were attended by the director of Institutional Relations of Real Madrid, Emilio Butraguenoand the president of Atlético de Madrid, Enrique Cerezo, who considered “a magnificent idea” that the club is one of the ambassadors.
The non-profit association ACES Europe, whose headquarters are in Brussels, is in charge of granting this recognition to cities or capitals with more than 500,000 inhabitants. Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) was named in 2019 with this title, a witness that Guadalajara (Mexico) picked up in 2020 and was extended for another year due to the world situation. For the year 2023 the chosen city has been Konya, in Turkey.