Interscholastic games: fights, pain and despair! | THE UNIVERSAL

He does not know where to lean his head and what to answer to his instructions, with which he has invested many hours of work, effort and dedication. They’ve earned the right to keep fighting and that’s why they’re on the ground.

Filiberto Atencio, football coach of the educational institution Nuestra Señora del Carmen, feels disappointed because after achieving the title of district champion with his students, today they are out of the Interscholastic Games due to this painful situation that the collegiate sport is going through. from Cartagena and Bolivar.

“For the girls in this team, the pain is greater because our school is the reigning champion of the Women’s Inter-School Football Games at the national level. We have been regional champions for 11 years in a row, departmental for 8 years, we have 7 regional titles and reigning girls soccer champions. We live and work for these inter-school games. The girls are heartbroken, there is a lot of sadness, they are betting on the title. They stayed out of the regional phase on issues that do not concern us. Last year the prize was a tablet because none of the girls were in the eleventh grade, but this year I have four girls in the eleventh grade and if we repeat the national title, there are 4 university scholarships. It is very useful, education is very expensive and a university scholarship is a blessing,” adds Atencio. Read here: Here’s how Bolivar helps beat Colombia at the South American Games in Asuncion

What happened?

Cartagena and Bolivar collegiate sports continue to be outraged by their exclusion from the regional phase of the Interscholastic Games, which begins this Friday in Valledupar.

Bolivar did not hold the departmental phase (so-called Zodes) that was responsible for Iderbol and was automatically left out of the intercollegiate competition, which is held by the Ministry of Sports, an organization that awards many prizes, including university scholarships to those who remain champions of the final phase. How many needy young people benefit from these university scholarships? The answer is a lot.

The District of Cartagena, through Ider and the Ministry of Education, did the district phase and submitted a request to the Ministry of Sports for the champions of that phase to represent Bolivar in the regional phase, but it was not accepted. Read here: Strike on college sports

The Ministry of Sports blames Iderbol

The ministry, through a letter, publicly told Iderbol that it did not want to carry out the departmental phase, assuring that it had informed in time of the financial support that the government would provide it and showed receptivity to help carry out the departmental phase which would allow to establish which teams will represent Bolivar in the regional phase.

In the letter, the highest rector of sports in Colombia said: “The Ministry of Sports persistently supported the participation of Bolivar in the phase of the department, but the will and the timely management of the sports entity could not be noticed (Iderbol) to carry it out.”

Pedro Alli, Iderbol’s manager, blames Mindeportes

Iderbol, for his part, through his manager Pedro Ali, responded that the Ministry of Sports, which is responsible for the financial funding of 70% of the department’s phase, changed the rules at the last minute and that 30% of the contribution they received already was appropriate because it is included in the annual budget.

“If in April the ministry budgeted 340 million pesos and in June it allocated 130 million pesos through the operator, why are they holding Iderbol responsible for this program, why did the ministry not make agreements this year for any of its programs,” Ali said.

The Turbay vs. Ali fight

Dumek Turbay, former governor and sports leader (photo), referred to the problem in his social networks and made a request to Vicente Blell, governor of Bolivar.

“Please, please, do not burn the hopes of our children and young people from Bolivar, you are their only hope to be able to compete in these fairs. Today you must resolve this situation, there are few resources that are missing, governor, assign them to this noble task,” said Turbai.

Meanwhile, also via networks, Ali responded as follows. “I will not give in to Dumek’s pressure to cover up his old friends in the Ministry of Sports, rather I will put pressure on them and I assure you the political benefits will be better.

Can something be done?

And while there is an exchange of messages between Turbay and Ali, the question is whether anything can still be done for Bolivar to participate in the regional phase of this fair, which gives many of its champions a university degree so that they can change their lives, in the midst of the needs that exist in millions of homes in Colombia.

Can Zodes still be made? Can the regional phase continue for a few more days? What mechanism can be used so that these young people from Cartagena and Bolivar do not deviate?

What the law says

Law 181 on sports clearly states: “The mechanisms that allow the promotion, popularization, development and practice of sports, recreation and the use of free time are established through the functional integration of the organizations, processes, activities and resources of this sport.” “.

Hopefully, mechanisms will be found so that Bolivar athletes do not see their hopes dashed.