Carlos González de Rivera |
Mérida (EFE), May 8 (EFE).- Soccer is not the king of sports in politics, if what we look at is the candidates for the regional and municipal elections on May 28, although in one of them the name of an Atlético de Madrid legend like Adelardo Rodríguez, yes, in a symbolic way.
Athletics, canoeing, basketball, boxing, handball, sailing, cycling, swimming, motor racing and of course football, among other disciplines, are represented on the lists by active athletes -very few-, former athletes, directors, federations or referees, because of everything is on the electoral catwalk.
The “color” is also very varied, from the extremes to the center, from large or not so big parties, regionalist, nationalist or independent, and almost all of them focused on local politics.
Olympic, world, European and Spanish champions polish the candidacies in order to win more votes on 28M, which includes veteran and rookie athletes and whose “squads” have included signings, promotions and relegations.
competition candidates
Among fifty names is that of former athlete Roberto Sotomayor, United Podemos candidate for mayor of Madrid. He shone already from the age of 35, when he won three European veteran titles.
Still active, the national hammerhead record holder and eternal Spanish champion, Javier Cienfuegos (PP), also aspires to be mayor of Montijo (Badajoz).
Both have experience in politics; Sotomayor is a member of the State Citizen Council of Podemos and Cienfuegos has been a regional deputy for four years, like the former athlete Álvaro Burrell (PSOE).
Mayor of Monzón (Huesca) between 2015 and 2019, Burrell will try again after going through regional politics.
Two debuting Olympic champions are Cristian Toro (canoeing) and Nuria Cabanillas (rhythmic gymnastics), who compete in the municipal elections of Madrid and Badajoz for Vox and the PSOE, respectively, although not as number one.
Soccer, basketball, tennis… and even referees
Another of the newcomers is Xavier Estrada, the former international soccer referee now acting as VAR who makes the leap to local politics in Lleida in the ranks of ERC.
His name is fully topical for having filed a criminal complaint for the “Negreira case.” Another former collegiate is Urizar Azpitarte, who is presenting himself for the PNV in a town in Biscay.
Former basketball player Laura Nicholls, who retired prematurely with three European gold medals, and former Racing soccer player Gonzalo Colsa have entered the PRC regionalist list for Santander.
They will face the veteran tennis and padel player Beatriz Pellón (PP), former national champion in both disciplines.
Among the few who opt for regional politics is Eduardo Blasco, on the list of the AMF of Fuerteventura for the Canarian Parliament; and Daniel Molina, in the candidacy of the PP to the Cortes of Castilla-La Mancha. They have been world champions in First Aid and Rescue and paratriathlon, respectively.
While Santi Amaro, with three promotions to Segunda B with Mérida, one as a coach, breaks into politics with a double candidacy, for the Parliament of Extremadura and for mayor of Emeritus.
Halfway between the local and the regional, José María Ponce (United), Spanish rally champion in 1991, aspires to preside over the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the island’s government.
ascents and descents
Ángela Pumariega, Olympic gold medalist in sailing, has climbed a step to lead the PP’s candidacy for mayor of Gijón, while her party mate Juancho Pérez, world handball champion and mayor of Badajoz Sports, falls from number 2 to 16, with which he will be left out.
Rolando Uríos, gold like Juancho in Tunisia 2005, intends to enter the corporation of Ciudad Real with Ciudadanos.
One of those who changes “team” is the former athlete Eliseo Martín, world bronze, who leaves the regionalist PAR to go to the PP and who will coincide with Burrell in Monzón.
Santi Abad (basketball), on a local PSOE list from Álava, and Alfredo Evangelista, the boxer who endured 15 rounds against the legendary Mohamed Ali, with the independents from a town in Orense, are in testimonial positions, like Adelardo Rodríguez, who closes the candidacy of the PP of Majadahonda (Madrid).
In Madrid’s San Sebastián de los Reyes, ex-cyclist Miguel Angel Martín Perdiguero repeats as the headliner of Cs, and at the other end Nayanesh Ayman, the first Spanish medalist in a Muay Thai World Cup, goes for Winning Alcorcón.
Another active, Olympic athlete Toni Abadía, is the only PAR candidate in Griegos, a Teruel town of just over a hundred inhabitants.
Among the directors is the president of the Lucentum Basketball Foundation and CEO of the Intercity sports group, Toni Gallego, a novelty on the Alicante PP list.