Nearly 200 athletes to take part in the Ciutat de Palma Underwater Spearfishing Masters Week

The Plenary Hall hosted the presentation ceremony this Friday, January 23rd, during which Juan Francisco Vargas Suárez was honoured for more than 25 years of dedication to the Balearic Federation of Underwater Activities.

The Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez Llabrés, presided over the presentation of the Underwater Spearfishing Masters Week, which will take place from January 29th to the 31st and will bring together around 180 athletes from more than a dozen countries.

Also attending the event were Anna Alzhanova, President of the World Confederation of Underwater Activities; Andreu Sureda, representing the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities; and Juan José Mas Garau, President of the Balearic Federation. All of them expressed their gratitude for the City Council’s support of the sport and highlighted the evolution of the competition, which has now become a global benchmark.

Representing the City Council, the First Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Sports, Javier Bonet, was also present.

The programme includes several competitions: the 23rd Ciutat de Palma Masters, with 16 participants from six countries, including nine world champions; the 6th CMAS Women’s Cup Ciutat de Palma, with five competitors from five countries; the 3rd Masters World Cup 50+, with around 10 international athletes; the 34th Ciutat de Palma Open, with nearly 120 participants; and the Nations Cup, featuring six countries and a total of 24 athletes.

During the ceremony, held in the Plenary Hall of the City Council, Juan Francisco Vargas Suárez was honoured for more than 25 years of dedication, collaboration and commitment to underwater spearfishing, in recognition of his valuable contribution to the growth and consolidation of the sport through the Balearic Federation of Underwater Activities.

The Mayor presented the honouree with a lithograph by Mariano Mayol entitled “La Plaça de Cort” and highlighted that “his career and effort are an example of how commitment, perseverance and hard work are essential for many sporting projects to become a reality.”

Martínez Llabrés also underlined that the Ciutat de Palma Underwater Spearfishing event “places the city as an international reference in sport” and emphasised the importance of inclusion and diversity, as the event brings together participants of different ages, categories and disciplines, “allowing everyone to showcase their talent on equal terms.”

The Mayor also conveyed the City Council’s support for all sporting disciplines and stressed that the Masters Week “not only promotes high-level sport, but is also a key tool for raising awareness about the protection of the marine environment and our natural heritage.”

“From the City Council of Palma, we are convinced that the future of our city lies in continuing to support sport, promoting activities linked to the sea and strengthening our historical connection with the maritime environment,” the Mayor stated.

In this context, Martínez Llabrés pointed out that sport “becomes a key tool for education, awareness and the protection of our natural heritage,” and reiterated that sustainability, together with sport, is “one of the priority and strategic pillars of the city model we are building.”

Finally, the Mayor thanked all the organisers, sponsors and collaborators who make the Underwater Spearfishing Masters Week possible, noting that it “demonstrates Palma’s ability to host top-level international sporting events and to consolidate itself as a city open to the sea and to sport.”