Up to 800 people, including sports entities and the general public, participated in a celebration that marks an intense start to 2024 in Les Franqueses.
The European Sports Village 2024 in Les Franqueses officially started this Friday with a celebration that brought together up to 800 people, including sports entities, athletes, and the general public. The celebration began at 6:00 PM with a parade featuring athletes from Les Franqueses, starting from Espai Can Prat to the Town Hall. The parade was full of color and animation, highlighting the sports strength of Les Franqueses and the enthusiasm of the community for the year 2024.
The parade passed through the streets of the center of Les Franqueses and reached the Town Hall, where the central event took place. It included speeches from authorities, a speech from the ambassador and athlete Jordi Madera, and the reading of a manifesto by children athletes from the municipality. The manifesto aimed to emphasize the commitment of Les Franqueses athletes to the values of sports and invited the community to join the events and celebrations of this year 2024 as the European Sports Village.
Paralympic athlete and ambassador of Les Franqueses, European Sports Village 2024, Jordi Madera, expressed gratitude for the presence of sports entities and athletes from the municipality. He pointed out, “For me, it is truly a privilege to represent my municipality during this important year 2024. A year where all of you will be the protagonists, and where the sports of Les Franqueses will receive the recognition it deserves for its strength and vitality. Sport has many facets, competitive sports, elite sports, but also school sports, amateur sports, sports for both physical and mental health. I see all these facets here today.” In the same vein, the Mayor of Les Franqueses, Juan Antonio Corchado, highlighted the work of all sports entities in the municipality, stating, “If Les Franqueses is the European Sports Village 2024, it is thanks to all of you. Congratulations on the work done, congratulations on the work you will do, and onwards.” Sports Councilor Carlos Munzón expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “If Les Franqueses is sport, it is thanks to you, to the work that all directors, all coaches, all players, and all parents who accompany their children every weekend do.” Aces Europa delegate in Catalonia, Joan Anton Camuñas, also thanked the participation of all entities, athletes, and citizens of Les Franqueses, stating, “Aces Europa has awarded, over the last twenty years, up to three thousand cities worldwide. All are cities that do well and have heart. But now I was reflecting, and I thought if I had to choose which are the towns with the most heart per square meter, do you know which one I would choose? Les Franqueses del Vallès.” The representative of the Barcelona Provincial Council, Abel Garcia, also praised the work of everyone involved in sports in the municipality, emphasizing that this recognition “is thanks to a lot of work, especially the anonymous work of the person who opens the facility, the coach, the parents who accompany their child. Carry the name of Les Franqueses with pride because you were known before, and this year you will consolidate it.”
The celebration also featured the collaboration of various local entities such as the Diables Els Encendraires group, the Gegants de Les Franqueses Association, and the Les Franqueses Basketball Club, which offered hot chocolate for everyone. The final act concluded with a fireworks display that symbolically marked the start of 2024 in Les Franqueses as the European Sports Village.
