Venezuela Launches National Communal Sports Games 2025, Aiming for Grassroots Athletic Development
The inauguration of the national phase of the III National Communal Sports Games 2025, marked by an energetic parade featuring the Fronty mascot at the 9 de Octubre Gymnasium in Mérida state, signals a significant push for sports massification and values-based athletic training in Venezuela. The event aims to cultivate a new generation of high-performance athletes, starting with children aged 7 to 12.
From Local Circuits to National Stage
After months of preparation and selection processes across 5,336 communal circuits nationwide, the communal sports festival has reached its national phase. This year’s competition will unfold across the states of Mérida, Táchira, and Trujillo, with a total of 6,105 athletes participating in 27 different sports disciplines.
A Celebration of Culture and Sport
The opening ceremony was a vibrant display of national pride and artistic expression. Representatives from all 24 Venezuelan states, as well as Caracas, participated in a parade, followed by a performance of the national anthem by the Mérida State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Antonio José Rangel. A 200-person ballet, choreographed by Romel Bottini, captivated the audience and received a standing ovation, showcasing the cultural richness of the nation.
Presidential Endorsement and Vision for the Future
The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, addressed the event via telephone, speaking with the Minister of Popular Power for Sports, Franklin Cardillo. He emphasized the importance of the community sports system and the consolidation of popular organization as foundational elements for a new society. “I am here amazed by the cultural and artistic ceremony and the parade of all the delegations. Truly the communes, today, are the path for the construction of a new society,” a senior official relayed from the President’s remarks.
Maduro highlighted the inclusivity of the Games, noting the participation of athletes ranging in age from 7 to 89. “Hoy 6,105 athletes are participating from boys and girls of 7, 8 years old, to my colleagues, 89-year-old grandfathers and grandmothers. Impressive, really,” he stated. The diverse range of disciplines includes athletics, para-athletics, basketball (5×5 and 3×3), gymnastics, table tennis, judo, boxing, skating, skateboarding, baseball 5, weightlifting, swimming, and volleyball, among others.
Building a Sustainable Sports Ecosystem
According to a national leader, Venezuela is focused on developing a robust and sustainable sports system. “We are developing a sports system that has deep foundations, a system where they have participated one million 545 thousand athletes and from those they have arrived at these National Games 6,105. Extraordinary system that manages to unite the golden generation,” the leader explained.
The President also drew a parallel to the historical significance of the date, recalling Simón Bolívar’s Congress of Panama 201 years ago, and underscored that the strength of the nation resides in its people – its youth, its elders, and all its citizens. “The power of the nation is its people, it is its people, its boys, its girls, its youth dreaming and building the future and also their older adults, we, the grandfathers and grandmothers of the country,” he added.
With a message of unity and hope, the President formally inaugurated the III National Communal Sports Games of the Andes 2025, proclaiming, “With all my love, I solemnly inaugurate the third National Communal Sports Games of the Andes 2025. Long live the communes! Long live the country! Long live national sport! Until victory always! “May God bless us!”
Regional Support and Future Aspirations
Government authorities from the host states of Mérida and Trujillo expressed their enthusiasm for the event. Arnaldo Sánchez, the current governor of Mérida, extended a warm welcome to all participants, stating, “Seven years later all the community members arrive to these beautiful lands, Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo, I want to welcome all of you athletes, today Mérida welcomes you with open arms, boys and girls, enjoy the beauties of the Andean lands, thanks to President Nicolás Maduro who has guaranteed us the necessary conditions to host this event.”
Gerardo Márquez, the governor of Trujillo, expressed his hope that the young athletes would become future Olympic medalists, saying, “Today we are summoned by the peace of some Communal Sports Games. For all of you, the greatest of successes, I greet you all with a big hug from the affection of the Trujillano people, so enjoy these Games that will be the memory of many years for all of you.”
The Communal Games will continue until Thursday, December 18, concluding a successful sporting year for Venezuela.
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