Celebrating sport, not the cut

For several weeks, high performance athletes in the country have shown their discontent for the budget cut for their sector. EFE/ Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda

Photo: EFE – Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda

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Practicing sports, walking, jogging, running, riding a bike, dancing, aerobic, recreating with family, those involved in the sports sector in Colombia will make a mobilization this Sunday, September 14 with the aim of raising the voice in unity and drawing the attention of the national government in relation to the considerable cut of resources for the Ministry of Sports in 2026.

A cut of more than 40% in relation to the year 2025 and more than 80% compared to 2024, which was $ 1.3 billion.

By 2026 there was a budget for Midport of 310,000 million pesos, of which 70,000 are for operation of the entity.

And athletes shining as the best ambassadors in the country for the world. Recently they occupied the tenth place in the World Games and the third in the Pan American Youth Games, Egan Bernal won the stage of the Tour of Spain, the soccer team classified the 2026 World Cup, the female to the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2026. Anyway, the athletes leave the country name high in each event in which they participate.

And of the budget that? The Ministry of Finance presented a budget to Congress to be approved with an exaggerated cut, which will not cover the events and development programs that Mindort has for Colombians.

A decent budget for 2026 is crying in a certain way by athletes. Next year there are important and qualifying Olympic cycle events for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We need to prepare for all needs, coaches, physical trainers, biomedical and applied sciences, nutrition, implementation, support for international events and acknowledgments by medals of athletes are necessary to have good results and future projections.

And what about the programs and events of sports promotion and development, intercollegated games would disappear, sports schools and talent detection programs, physical activity programs, recreation and community social sports, as well as programs such as youth camps, new beginning, attention to disability, indigenous peasant games, Afro -descendant population and other programs for several millions of Colombians would disappear and decrease in coverage and quality as the infrastructure and organization of the National and Paranational Games 2028 would be highly affected.

That is why this Sunday, September 14, with the event, let's celebrate the sport, the sector will carry out mobilizations in the main cities of the country, led by a group of leaders, members of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee, officials of the Ministry of Sports, the Women's Association and Sports, the Sports Federations, the Youth and Environment sector, which will join in one voice: Yes to the sport, not to the sport, not to the sport.

Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Armenia, San Andrés and Manizales will participate in the event from 9:00 am, and the protesters will wear yellow shirt to claim the sports sector, calling on congressmen, mayors and governors like this, as the national government. To reconsider this low budget.