Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto’s cadets received by Sagunto’s mayor after winning Spain’s bronze medal

Adrián Ribes’ team won bronze by defeating CD Bidasoa Irún 32–26 in the tournament held in O Porriño (Pontevedra, Galicia) 

Sagunto’s mayor, Darío Moreno, and the councillor responsible for Physical Activity, Health and Sport, Javier Timón, welcomed Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto’s cadet team on Monday afternoon. The team had finished third on Sunday in the Spanish Handball Championship held in O Porriño, Pontevedra (Galicia). The delegation was led by the club president, Juanjo Bataller, accompanied by the red-and-white side’s coaching staff, squad and players’ families.

Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto’s academy players lost 28–33 to Delicias Play 360 in the semi-finals before facing CD Bidasoa Irún for third and fourth place. The match went the way of the Puerto de Sagunto side, who won 32–26 to secure the national bronze medal. It was a historic result, as it was the first national medal for Fertiberia Balonmano Puerto Sagunto’s academy since 1951.

In his speech, mayor Darío Moreno highlighted the values that had taken the team to the Spanish Championship podium, such as «personal effort», collective work, «especially in a team sport such as handball», and family support, «because Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto is a family», as he specified. He also emphasised the work of the coaching staff.

«The Town Council has tried to do its bit», added Moreno, who did not want to diminish the achievement and stressed its «social dimension» and its «inspiring success» which, he said, «has restored everyone’s excitement» to everyone, «something very difficult to achieve», in his opinion. «You have created a moment that is already unforgettable», he told the squad.

For his part, the councillor for Physical Activity, Health and Sport, Javier Timón, emphasised the commitment of fathers and mothers to their children’s education, to which «we must add that sacrifice which goes beyond» for the «reward» of seeing them carry out their activity so successfully. «That, in some way, makes you greater as parents and is also worthy of recognition in a sporting success of this magnitude», the councillor told the family members present.

Timón also congratulated the coaching staff, «a very important component whose work must be highlighted: being able to fit all the pieces together so that this achievement could ultimately be reached», as he explained.

Likewise, he congratulated Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto’s cadet players: «There are no adjectives left to highlight everything you have achieved. All that remains is to congratulate you on your competitive mentality, which you demonstrated throughout this tournament».

«I would like you to take with you the recognition of this Town Council and our city, and to thank you for making us dream and thrill, for getting even those who did not follow this sport to follow it through you, and for being an example of sportsmanship, determination and all those values we celebrate in sport, which you have developed throughout the competition», the councillor told the club members, coaching staff and squad.

The organisation’s president, Juanjo Bataller, thanked the Town Council for its recognition and support and expressed his satisfaction with «this achievement, which is very important» and represents «a milestone», although he wanted to remind the academy players that their development as athletes and within Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto «has practically only just begun» and said he hoped many more successes remained for them to achieve. He also thanked the families, coaching staff and players for their effort, because this third place «is a very significant achievement».

At the end of the ceremony, the club representatives presented the mayor with a team shirt signed by the squad and coaching staff. «You have shown me the greatest warmth and made me feel part of the team», the mayor thanked them. «You have achieved something incredible; many of us are waiting to see what your next steps will be», Moreno said, referring to the cadet players, while wishing them «from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the city, Sagunto Town Council and also personally, all the luck in the world» in the future. «I am sure you will bring us more joy», he assured them.

 

 

A historic medal

Cadete A completed an outstanding season after being crowned regional champions and winning the national sector at the Ovni, which put them among Spain’s eight best teams. The ‘bronze’ flourish came last weekend, when they finished third in Spain. Only a defeat to Delicias prevented them from reaching the final against Barcelona. The season’s toughest defeat did not unsettle them, and they secured the bronze medal—the first for the red-and-white club’s academy since 1951, the year the organisation was founded.

The cadets’ coach, Adrián Ribes, says it ‘has been a difficult season because of COVID19, because we did not know whether we would compete. January and February were very complicated, but I would highlight the team’s tactical ability to absorb knowledge and expand its ability to understand situations, because given that a large part of the team is in Cheste, we have had very few collective sessions, working on Saturdays and Sundays. Their work ethic has been very good.’

‘The effort we made to work at weekends was because we believed the team needed it. We saw that it was necessary to bring the group together. It is true that most of them already knew one another, but I think it was a very important factor’, adds Ribes.

They did not waste the winter break; virtual training sessions also helped the players develop: ‘The virtual work during the break was demanding, but until then we had not worked on video at all. At that point we began analysing our own videos and those of elite matches, and I think it contributed a great deal. They were also very disciplined.’

The coach believes the squad experienced a turning point during the season that was key to winning the medal: ‘The group grew most as the different stages progressed. They realised they needed to be at 100% to get through the matches, and I think that is what led them to keep improving.’

Regarding the end of the Spanish Championship, Ribes says ‘In the final match, despite coming off a tough defeat to Delicias that guaranteed us at least the silver medal, the team gave everything and won bronze. The defeat to Delicias was hard; we had planned and worked on it extensively, but as the match unfolded nothing went our way. We lost our focus, and the recovery work was very demanding because the following morning we had to compete for a medal. There was a very painful phase, but a team talk before bed was crucial to motivating the boys. We had also just beaten Irún and could not use the same strategy because they already knew what we could do. We devised a new plan against Irún, but I did not see the team looking confident until they stepped on court on Sunday.’

A historic result for an academy squad that will forever be the first to win a medal for the club, highlighting the work of the academy, coaching staff and young players. A bronze medal that symbolises the good health of the red-and-white academy and the future of the club from Puerto de Sagunto.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.