In the midst of the current environment that the country is experiencing, as a balm comes news that fills us with pride: the great participation of Ecuadorian athletes in the Xalapa 2023 Para-Athletics Grand Prix, where thirteen gold medals were won.

The final medal table placed the country in fourth place (among 14 on the continent), just below Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. The tricolor paraathletic team consisted of 22 athletes, 5 coaches, 2 physiotherapists and 1 delegate.

The spoils also included multiple medals, two continental records and beating sporting powerhouses like Cuba and the USA.

All this is a great achievement, as on March 28 the Ecuadorian Paralympic Committee condemned the “delays in budget allocations” by the Ministry of Sports and the impact on their plans. But after overcoming the bureaucratic problems, the Paralympians could focus and the results were 24 medals: 13 gold, 9 silver and 2 bronze.

Athletes like Poleth Mendes and Kiara Rodríguez were among those who won the most brilliant honors at the Grand Prix of Xalapa in the shot put and long jump. In the same modalities, they won gold and silver respectively at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020.

They were followed as gold medal winners by Jordi Congo, Marco Antonio Churuchumbi, Seneida Rodríguez, Anthony Rojas, Lizsanchela Angulo, Estefany López, Clader Aguas, Jimmy Caicedo, Bryan Muguicha, Álex Chalá.

National Paralympic sport deserves the same support as other sports. The results obtained in recent years show that there is great potential that Ecuador can put on the international map. Therefore, respecting and promoting the annual plans with the necessary means becomes the goal of reminding the sports and political-administrative authorities. Therefore, these names will continue to add achievements in their professional careers and in their personal lives, areas in which they have overcome all obstacles. (OR)