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Olympic values at the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centre

On the 5th July in Palma, the Rafa Nadal Foundation and Telefónica (through the ‘Podium’ program), with the participation of the Spanish Olympic Committee,  celebrated the inaugural ‘More than Sport’ Day. Around 70 socially disadvantaged youngsters from the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centre took part in the event, alongside four athletes that have received scholarships from Telefónica’s ‘Podium’ program.

After a chat between the children and athletes, during which the youngsters had the chance to learn at first-hand what it takes to become a performance athlete – effort, determination, consistency – it was time to put into practice the various sporting disciplines represented on the day.

Carlos Mayo (athletics), Margarita Morata (karate), Miguel Ángel Pifaffre (archery) and Sofia Zhang (table tennis) were on hand to demonstrate the techniques and peculiarities of each of their sports, whilst emphasising the intrinsic sporting values.

Other speakers during the day included Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Francisco de Bergia, Director of Public Affairs for the Presidency of Telefónica, and Ana María Perera, President of the Rafa Nadal Foundation; three organisations that are strongly committed to promoting sport as a tool for personal development and social cohesion.