Media and Grassroots Inclusive Sports in Alicante Highlight Their Societal Importance

The Alicante Technification Centre hosted the forum "Grassroots and Inclusive Sports in the Media, the example of Alicante clubs," an event organized by the Generalitat Valenciana. It brought together representatives from sports clubs and journalists to reflect on the role of communication in promoting formative and inclusive sports.

During the meeting, which was also attended by representatives from various city teams, it was highlighted how diversity in sports allows people with different abilities to find their space, fostering mutual enrichment. "It's not about being better or worse, just different," explained Iñaki Cirauqui, director of the Pedro Herrero Medical College and coordinator of the Diverse Abilities team at Lucentum Alicante, emphasizing the importance of building inclusive spaces where everyone can learn from each other.

The forum also demonstrated that in grassroots categories, working on values is essential to create a sense of belonging to the club, turning sports into an emotional driver for personal development. "The goal is not to train great athletes, but good people: engineers, lawyers, whatever they aspire to be in life," noted Marc Barberá, communications manager at Básquet San Gabriel.

Working on values in grassroots categories allows for identification with the club and generates a sense of belonging that makes sports an emotional driver for personal development," explained Ionut Georgescu, technical director at Lucentum Alicante.

In the field of communication, local journalists such as Aitor Varó (Alacantí TV), Pablo Verdú (Agencia EFE and El Español), Carlos Cuenca (Cadena Cope), David Esteve (Onda Cero and Diario AS), and Lucas Verdú (Todo Alicante and the Valencian Community Volleyball Federation) agreed on the challenges faced by the media in giving visibility to grassroots sports. The lack of human resources and programming space limits coverage, despite the growth in the number of clubs and the evolution of sports in recent decades being some of the hurdles mentioned.

However, the positive role of the internet and new technologies was highlighted, allowing clubs to create their own information channels and connect directly with their audiences. "Visibility remains essential, not only to recognize the work of athletes, coaches, and managers but also to inspire others and contribute to a healthier society," concluded the journalists.