Vélez-Málaga, Hub of Andalusian Athletics with the XXXV Sports Journalists Congress
The Axarquía city hosts an awards gala and a round table on the 'golden age' of athletics, bringing together prominent sports figures.
By Redacción La Voz de Andalucía
••2 min read
IA
Generic image of an athletic track with lane lines.
The city of Vélez-Málaga has become a focal point for Andalusian sports by hosting the XXXV Congress of the Federation of Sports Journalists of Andalusia, which included an awards gala and a round table on regional athletics.
The event, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Federation of Sports Journalists of Andalusia (FPDA), brought together prominent figures from the sports and political spheres. Attendees included the Minister of Culture and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía, Patricia del Pozo, the Deputy for European Resources, Sandra Extremera, and the President of the Andalusian Athletics Federation, Enrique López Cuenca.
The awards gala, held at the Lope de Vega Theater, recognized personalities such as race walker María Pérez, motorcycle racer José Antonio Rueda, the Unicaja de Málaga team, and Amivel Reyes Gutiérrez. This recently renovated venue is establishing itself as a key location for major events in the town.
“
"After last night, when we gathered the best of Andalusian sports in 2025 in Vélez-Málaga, today we are fortunate to have an excellent panel of specialists to discuss one of the most glorious and applauded stages of our community in this field, an opportunity also to bring the hundreds of thousands of practitioners of the various disciplines in Andalusia closer to the sports, cultural, artistic, and patrimonial reality of our municipality."
The day continued with a round table titled “The Golden Age of Andalusian Athletics,” chaired by the mayor of Vélez-Málaga, Jesús Lupiáñez (PP), at the auditorium of the Exile Studies Center. This discussion featured experts such as Enrique López Cuenca, president of the Andalusian Athletics Federation (FAA), and former Olympic athlete Álvaro Fernández, who holds the Andalusian indoor 1,500-meter record.
The Sports Councilor, Manuel Gutiérrez (PP), emphasized the importance of local athletics clubs' participation in this debate, considering it a platform to analyze the evolution and current strong performance of Andalusian athletics. He highlighted that events of this magnitude demonstrate Vélez-Málaga's commitment to promoting sports.
“
"It has been the best in the three years I have been president of the Federation; there has been a great response, and we have received very positive feedback from all athletes, including María Perez, the best athlete in the world. We can only thank the immense and magnificent work done by the Vélez-Málaga City Council."
