“There is no money” but the blame is shared, two months before Paris 2024

First, a request: that someone explain to the highest political authorities of Argentine sport that an Olympic campaign lasts four years and that form a olympic athlete It is equivalent to at least three campaigns (yes, 12 years). It is not enough with statements like “we are going to work very hard for the Olympic Games” said on April 19 by the new heads of the undersecretariat, just over three months before the opening. Paris 2024. It takes much more than a handful of words without content and sayings of commitment.

Second, a clarification: it is more than obvious that the disaster of Argentine sports policy is not the absolute responsibility of the government of Javier Miley. The evils have been going on for many years. And during that period radical, Peronist, Kirchnerist and Macrista administrations passed. So not everything is the fault of the new management of the undersecretary Julio Garro monitored by the secretary Daniel Scioli. Lastly, the President himself had already announced in the campaign that he would apply the chainsaw in many areas and that financing sports was not in their plans. He is fulfilling it.

The one that appeared on the scene now is Paula Paretowhich made visible the terrible moment that high national performance is going through. And specifically judo, his sport.

There are no spots in Pareto. In his life, both personally and sportingly, there is no way for him to arouse criticism against him. It’s an example. The athlete who trained her entire life to be world and olympic championwho at the same time studied and received doctor and at the same time is loved and respected by everyone.

Pareto and the coach who led her to the golden glory of Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Laura Martinelthey denounced the removal of scholarships for 2 million pesos per month (less than 2 thousand blue dollars) for developing athletes and their coaches. For the future of judo, in short.

“They want to save 1,500,000 pesos per month in judo. “Will that save Argentina,” they ask within themselves. And the rest of the vast majority of sports, whose news is – minimally – worrisomethey tremble when they look into the future.

In any case, it is worth highlighting a meeting that took place a few weeks ago and that lasted an hour and 15 minutes between Ramiro Fernandez Tellez y Jorge Callace by the Undersecretary and Oscar Cassinerio y Carolina Madrid Mori by Argentine Judo Confederation (CAJ).

There was talk of scholarships and of budgetit was anticipated cutout that Pareto and Martinel denounced and Deporte warned that “budgetary availability (…) does not allow continuing with the scholarship scheme in force as of April 2024,” according to a minute to which it had access Clarion. That is to say, the CAJ already knew what was coming. Didn’t they notify Pareto and Martinel?

Meanwhile, the National High Performance Sports Entity maintained the number and category of its scholarship recipients in judo: in the ENARD There are 28 scholarship recipients including athletes and coaches who are paid 9,540,727 pesos per month, which gives an average of 340,740.25 pesos for each one. That is, 106,325.13 pesos more than the minimum wage.

There is no money for anyone. But (almost) everyone looks the other way.