Municipal Sports Initiatives Elevate Youth Athletes in Manizales and Guayaquil

In Manizales, Colombia, the "Deportistas y Entrenadores Excelencia" program, led by Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas Giraldo and the municipal Sports Secretariat, supports 65 athletes and 15 coaches. In 2026 the participants earned more than 180 medals and over 90 titles across municipal, departmental, national, Pan‑American, Latin‑American and international competitions, including seven national records in underwater sports and multiple selections for Colombian national teams. Investment rose from 600 million pesos in 2024 to a higher amount in 2025.

In Guayaquil, Ecuador, the municipal Sports Directorate under Mayor Aquiles Álvarez began distributing uniforms and equipment to the city's municipal futsal schools. The first delivery provided kits to 130 children aged 10‑17 at the Cisne 2 school, part of a plan to reach over 600 youths across five schools. Director Carlos Morán highlighted the goal of using sport to improve life opportunities and community safety.