Almeida: "Madrid is meeting expectations as the World Capital of Sport"

"Rafa Nadal is a wonderful example of the Spain brand"

   MADRID, 6 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, underlined that the city is "meeting expectations" as the World Capital of Sport, welcomed the renewal of agreements with tournaments such as the Mutua Madrid Open and the Acciona Open España de golf, and congratulated the tennis player Rafa Nadal for his fourteenth Roland Garros and being a "wonderful example" of the Spain brand.

"A team from Madrid won the fourteenth, but today is the day to congratulate Rafa Nadal on his fourteenth Roland Garros and for being a wonderful example of what this authentic brand of Spain means," he said at the Madrid Europa Press Informative Breakfast, sponsored by Grant Thornton, Castellana Meeting Place, Ibercaja and Valdecarros Madrid.

Regarding the World Capital of Sport, he recalled that for Madrid "it was not only an honor but a responsibility" that designation, and reviewed the program that they have put in place to celebrate an appointment that will have an impact of nearly 100 million euros in the city.

"The sports budget has increased by 30 percent and, at the same time, national and international events have been attracted, such as the badminton European Championship, in which Carolina Marín reappears and wins her sixth European Championship," he said.

In this sense, he pointed out the renewal for the Mutua Madrid tennis tournament for 10 years and the signing of the agreement for the construction of a new court for between 8,000 and 10,000 people, as well as the three-year agreement with the Acciona Golf Open , the celebration for the second consecutive year of Madrid Urban Sports and the Gran Premio Madrid Marcha por la Gran Vía.

"Five sports centers have also been put out to tender in Madrid, and this means that the objective is being met. All this demonstrates our vocation to host national and international events and to instill in the people of Madrid the practice of sport. In addition, the successes achieved by the Madrid clubs represent an important reflection for this city", highlighted the first Madrid mayor.