The presentation press conference was held on a boat in the Guadiana River, that sets the frontier between Spain and Portugal
Authorities from the regional and local governments as well as the neighbour Portuguese towns of Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António, boarded a boat in Ayamonte for the official presentation of the Mundialito Andalucía 2023, event that will be held on Isla Canela Beach, Ayamonte, from October 13 to 15.
This tournament will be played in Ayamonte as a result of collaboration between the Andalusian Regional Government with the European FEDER Funds and Beach Soccer Worldwide and celebrates its 25th edition with the participation of the national teams of Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates in the men’s category, and Spain, England, the United States, and Portugal (represented in the press conference by Beach Soccer Legend Madjer) in the women’s category.
Josep Ponset, the director of events at Beach Soccer Worldwide, expressed gratitude for the strong commitment of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sports to beach soccer to promote Andalusia, as well as the willingness of the municipality of Ayamonte and the support of the Huelva Provincial Council. “The best players and national teams in the world will be here, providing the audience with one of the best beach soccer competitions for both men and women. Through television coverage and broadcasts on beachsoccertv.com, this event will bring Andalusia to beach soccer enthusiasts all over the world”, Ponset added.
According to José Manuel Correa, Government Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Huelva, “bringing this internationally renowned competition to Isla Canela demonstrates our commitment to sports and its promotion, bringing high-level competitions to regions of our province that need to be known beyond their borders, promoting sports tourism that breaks the seasonality and attracts an unusual audience in the fall to areas like the western coast of Huelva.”
The head of the Andalusian Regional Government Delegation in Huelva continued to express pride in “a government that promotes beach soccer” and expressed hope that “this edition of the Mundialito will be a lasting testament to our passion for sports and Andalusian hospitality.”
Isabel Sánchez, the Director-General of Events and Sports Facilities of the Andalusian Regional Government, emphasized Andalusia as a host of major sports events, highlighting that this year our region will be the venue for 150 events. “Events that, in addition to promoting sports, serve as important tourist and cultural attractions and allow us to present the best image of ourselves.”
“That’s why it’s so important that we host this Mundialito; we have that privilege, and it will also take place in a wonderful setting like Isla Canela Beach, which is undoubtedly a bonus for the competition and the visiting athletes,” she continued.
The tournament presentation took place during a boat ride on the Guadiana River, passing through the municipalities of Ayamonte, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, and Castro Marim. The mayor of the host town, Alberto Fernández took the opportunity to emphasize the “significance” of this event in the international promotion of the municipality of Ayamonte, as well as “the benefit it brings to the tourism and hospitality sector through the organization of a sports event of this caliber.”
The presentation also included the attendance of José Antonio Fernández Pérez, President of the Huelva Territory of the Andalusian Football Federation, Pedro Borras, President of the Seville Football Federation and President of the Beach Football Committee of Andalusia in representation of the Spanish Football Federation, and the Provincial Deputy for Sports of the Huelva Provincial Council, Juan Daniel Romero, who pointed out that “by hosting this important sports event, we put the province of Huelva on the international beach soccer stage. Sports and events like this Mundialito showcase all the resources that our province has to offer.” He added that beach soccer is “a spectacular sport that will allow both participants and the people making up the different teams to discover the excellent opportunities, not only in sports but also in culture, gastronomy, and heritage, offered by the province of Huelva in general and Ayamonte in particular.”
The Mundialito is one of the most historic beach soccer events and had its first edition in 1994 in Copacabana, Brazil. Spain won both the men’s and women’s trophies in the last edition of the Mundialito, held in Gran Canaria in 2022.
