The recent visit to the O’Higgins region by the Undersecretary of Sports, Antonia Illanes, revealed that emblematic projects such as the Rancagua heated pool and the Santa Cruz Sports Center will soon come into operation for the use of athletes. from both cities.
The government authority, in dialogue with “, expressed that regarding the pool located on Avenida La Compañía, “we are very happy with the result. The pool has six lanes and is 25 meters long, so that the rancagüinos and rancagüinas can use it in the best way.”
According to him, “the investment, made by the National Sports Institute together with the Regional Government of O’Higgins, amounts to more than 6 billion pesos, which has allowed us to build a sports space of the highest level, which also has with all the implementation necessary for its operation.”
Likewise, Antonia Illanes, highlighted that “what makes us most happy is that this venue will not only be available to the inhabitants of the city of Rancagua, but will allow all athletes in the region of O ‘Higgins to be able to develop his training and enhance his sports career.’ What’s more, he added that “this is very important for us, since it allows us to decentralize sport and bet on new development poles for future sporting events.”
Now, regarding when it will be operational and available to citizens, he stated that “in general terms, the facility is in the final steps of the administrative procedures. From the regional management of the IND and the Seremía del Deporte we are working hard to be able to open this space as soon as possible.”
HOLY CROSS
Regarding the Sports Center located in Paniahue Park, Undersecretary Antonia Illanes said that currently the place is more than 95% complete in its construction. “This facility, which contemplates an investment of close to 5 billion pesos, is a great opportunity for the inhabitants of the commune, as it will allow them to have a new facility for the development of different sports disciplines and workshops that are carried out by the National Sports Institute, throughout Chile.”
In passing, he stressed that “without a doubt, for our portfolio and especially for the Government of President Gabriel Boric, decentralization is a central focus in our management. We know that it is very important for people to have these centers, where, in addition to playing sports, they can share with neighbors, creating ties and spaces for community life. For us, sport is a factor of social cohesion that only brings positive things for families.”
ONE YEAR AWAY FROM THE PAN AMERICAN
The 2023 Pan American Games left an indelible mark on the collective memory and also among athletes. Our region, with Pichilemu at the helm, was one of the surfing venues that took over the agenda in those days, especially with the silver medal that a local athlete, Rafael Cortez, won.
In this regard, Illanes expressed that “without a doubt the realization of Santiago 2023 left an imprint on each and every Chilean, for the communes that were fortunate enough to host it, the impact has been so great and positive that there is no doubt that the legacy This sporting festival will be with us for a long time to come and part of our management is focused on continuing to strengthen our country as an organizer of major sporting events, as this will give us the opportunity to continue bringing sport closer to people, encouraging new people. generations to opt for healthier lifestyles and incorporate physical activity and movement culture as part of their daily routines. Indeed, the region benefited from the holding of the Games. Let us remember that major sporting events are not only an advance in sport, they also contemplate other aspects, such as promoting tourism and the local and national economy. Making the country visible as a good organizer of large events generates new investments. Punta Lobos is a privileged space in the world for surfing, so we must continue to promote the development of the sport and competitions in this area, to have great exponents like Rafael Cortés, who won a silver medal.”
Finally, when asked about how to promote high performance in the region, she commented that “for the government and our portfolio, decentralization is essential, which is why the sports infrastructure works that we are developing in the area are an essential part of management, to be able to deliver quality venues to regional athletes. Our desire is that all regions of the country have top-level venues, where new talents can be developed and it is not necessary to be in Santiago to have a sports career. That is our goal, and we work daily to meet our goals and objectives of having a transversal development of physical activity, of instilling sport from childhood to reduce the numbers of sedentary lifestyles and supporting those who decide to make sport a career and a way of life. But, in addition, it is important to promote sport and promote it from early childhood. That is why we continue working for the development of more sports infrastructure in public schools in rural areas, since we believe it is essential that the girls and boys of our country can have spaces suitable for carrying out physical activity, they are the future athletes, so it is very important to be able to provide them with quality venues.”