Statement by the president of the Government of Spain at the reception for the Spanish team of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN, PEDRO SÁNCHEZ

First, to welcome you to your home, to Moncloa Palace, which you know is the home of all Spaniards and particularly of all those who see you as a reference of inspiration, of dedication, of commitment, in your case, to sport and to the values of sport.

Secondly, I know that you have been with many institutions, you have been with the king, with the queen, also in the Higher Council for Sports, with the president of the HCS, with José Manuel, and with the minister, with Milagros. So I won't take up too much of your time. But first of all, from the point of view of Spanish society, I really wanted to tell you how proud we are to see you competing, to see all the effort you have put in and also the enthusiasm that was transmitted in the images we have seen in the media of the entire Spanish delegation and, particularly, of course, of the athletes who are with us.

Well, I know from what I have read that this is the first time you have participated in a Paralympic Games, which must have been an experience that I am convinced you will never forget in your life.

Secondly, of course, recognising the performance of all the sportsmen and women, I would like to make a special mention to someone who comes with a lot of medals: already winning a bronze medal, but winning a bronze medal, a silver medal and two gold medals... Audrey, it is a real honour to be by your side and above all to recognise in you that sporting reference which, I am convinced, many young and not so young people see in all of you.

Eight participants. I have also seen that there are more female athletes than male athletes. Well, I see the dog is making itself at home. It looks fantastic there. I love it. What's its name?

And, well, I would like to convey to you, of course, all this recognition, but also the pride and, finally, the commitment, I would say, of Spanish society as a whole, expressed both in the Government of Spain and in Parliament. You know that in 2022, the Law on Sport was approved, in which all administrations established a very firm, very strong commitment to make athletes visible and encourage their participation in the Paralympic Games. And this is a commitment that remains, that is established in all the administrations and in all the political parties, the vast majority of them.

And I would just like to convey to you, in addition to the pride, this recognition; of course, to encourage you to continue competing in the next international competitions, whether they are Paralympic Games or other types of international competitions.

One last mention, of course, to your families and your coaches who accompany you. Because on many occasions, although we see you alone competing, in the end all sport is a team sport. There is a lot of effort behind a lot of people who contribute all their knowledge so that you can develop as sportsmen and women. And also a lot of sacrifice on the part of the families who see that instead of being with them, you have to go out to train or dedicate a good part of your time to training. You don't see these things until you compete and actually achieve all the stages and all the goals you set for yourself. Simply participating in a Paralympic Games is already a great success for me, but to win diplomas or medals, as in your case, is even more of a success.

Truly, congratulations. Thank you very much and keep going, keep going forward, the truth is that the effort is worth it.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)

Original speech in Spanish

Non official translation