2024-02-15 04:00:02
Among those chosen are Santiago 2023 medalists and various national sports promises, who will be able to access a scholarship in order to enhance their careers to represent Chile in their respective disciplines.
With the aim of supporting athletes with a scholarship to prepare your skills and to be able to represent the country in its various specialties, SalmonChile promoted the “Team Salmon” initiative
The presentation of the selected ones, held on the Puerto Varas waterfront, included the participation of the renowned Team Chile athlete – and ambassador of this program -, Natalia Ducó, and the executive director of Santiago 2023, Harold Mayne Nicholls.
“To these six young people, with dreams, hopes and a lot of talent, we will give a hand as Team Salmón, not only regarding resources, which, although they are very necessary, we will also focus on believing in their potential. Sport delivers a lot, it changes lives and that is what SalmonChile believes in,” said Ducó.
Meanwhile, the executive director of Santiago 2023, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, highlighted the importance of the initiative and declared that “this is what we need in the country. We need young people who are about to take that step to obtain all the benefits that high-performance athletes have and who win medals, and that have support from the private sector”.
He added that “normally we focus on supporting those who have already won, but Those who most require that support are those who are about to win.. That link is where we have to take the leap. That is why I congratulate SalmonChile for this initiative.”
Selected from Team Salmon
The athletes were chosen by a jury that interviewed 15 athletes from among the more than one hundred applications that came to the union.
Among the six athletes of Team Salmón, several Santiago 2023 medalists stand out. One of them is the Pan-American champion in Karate, Enrique Villalonin addition to the bronze medalists, Claudia Gallardo in taekwondo – who was also chosen by the Circle of Sports Journalists of Chile as the best in her discipline in 2023 – and para athlete Amanda Cerna in the 400 meters (T37).
“I am happy and very grateful for the fundamental support for athletes, especially in high performance. I am very grateful for SalmonChile’s consideration in forming this team to support athletes from the south; I think it’s great. Besides, This shows that there are many athletes from the south with a lot of strength and determination, and we are going to give our best”said Cerna.
The team will also be made up of promising national sports, among which are the slalom canoeist who was Pan American runner-up in C1, General Soto; the long jumper, Diego Bustamantewho has been Pan American and South American vice-champion, and the fencer Mary Ignatius Jañawho has represented the country on various occasions.
The president of SalmonChile, Arturo Clément, stated that “we are very happy with this project that arose based on what was experienced in Santiago 2023, where as Chileans we were able to unite again and enjoy a unique event in our country.”
“We hope that through Team Salmón we can raise new talents in the south of the country, and that they come to represent the country in the best possible way throughout the world“, concluded the executive.