The Los Jerónimos Monastery, the heart of UCAM, became a stage of emotion, pride and gratitude. More than 800 people gathered to experience a magical evening in which sport, values and excellence were intertwined in a single voice. The UCAM Sports Gala of was much more than an awards ceremony: it was a tribute to the effort, perseverance and shared history of those who have taken the name of the institution to the highest levels of university, national and international competition. In a vibrant atmosphere, with applause resounding as symbols of admiration, UCAM reconfirmed why it is recognised throughout Europe as the 'University of Sport' and for its close alliance with the Spanish Olympic Committee, forged in 2012 and strengthened in each Olympic cycle.

The ceremony, which was presided over by María Dolores García, UCAM President, together with Alejandro Blanco, President of the COE, and Carmen Conesa, Regional Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports of the Government of the Region of Murcia, began with a minute's silence in memory of the fatal victims of the Valencia DANA which occurred just over a year ago. 

The UCAM president, María Dolores García, underlined that this Gala ‘is the confirmation of a decision taken from day one: to commit to sport and to people’, a commitment that translates ‘into success and, above all, into our athletes also advancing in their academic careers’. The president of the COE, Alejandro Blanco, celebrated ‘the impressive work that UCAM is doing’ and highlighted that the UCAM model ‘is a reference for universities around the world’, within the framework of a UCAM-COE alliance that places the Murcian institution ‘among the best in Spanish Olympism’. For her part, Councillor Carmen Conesa thanked ‘the commitment to sport that UCAM has maintained since its foundation’ and congratulated the award winners for embodying ‘effort, discipline and an international projection that makes the whole Region of Murcia proud’.

From the outset, the Gala underlined the essence that inspires this university community: dedication, perseverance and the spirit of self-improvement. Few schools in the world can muster comparable talent and achievements, as evidenced by the results at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and the projection towards Los Angeles 2028.

The list of athletes present reflected the size of the UCAM family: canoeist Saúl Craviotto (six Olympic medals), along with his K4 teammates Rodrigo Germade, Marcus Cooper and Carlos Arévalo; swimmer Mireia Belmonte (four Olympic medals); Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marín; weightlifter Lydia Valentín (three Olympic medals); Teresa Portela (Olympic runner-up and with seven Olympic participations); the Olympic shooting champions Fátima Gálvez and Alberto Fernández; as well as referents of the Region such as María Xiao (UCAM Cartagena Table Tennis), and the athletes Mariano García and Miguel Ángel López, among others. The reunions, smiles and hugs were evidence of the camaraderie, trust and sense of belonging that characterise this university.

On behalf of the athletes, Saúl Craviotto stressed that UCAM provides them with ‘tools and opportunities for the future’, giving them the peace of mind of being able to prepare themselves beyond the competition; an idea that Carolina Marín reinforced by defining the support of the University as ‘essential support that allows them to combine studies and high performance’. Mireia Belmonte stressed that the UCAM has given her ‘the opportunity to train as a person and student for the future’, with a ‘very positive’ experience within a community that makes her ‘feel supported’. Along the same lines, Lydia Valentín expressed her gratitude for the ‘constant help since 2016, both academically and in terms of the resources that an athlete needs’, and valued the fact that UCAM, ‘the University of the Athlete’, allows them to study and progress while they continue to compete. 

The awards for the best UCAM athletes of 2025 are traditionally a key part of the gala. In the men's category, Damián Quintero, from the karate team, was honoured for an outstanding career, culminating this year with world and European titles, and for his constant spirit of self-improvement. In the women's category, the award went to Maria Perez, a walking athlete who achieved a historic milestone by winning two medals at the World Championships and becoming the first Spaniard to win four world gold medals in her speciality. The athlete, who was unable to attend due to sporting commitments, sent a video message, and the award was collected on her behalf by Miguel Ángel López.

During the evening, the Values of Sport Awards were also presented, which distinguish exemplary careers for their talent, dedication and commitment. Carolina Marín, Olympic champion and triple world champion in badminton, was recognised as a benchmark for self-improvement on and off the courts. Saúl Craviotto, with six Olympic medals in canoeing, received the award for his leadership and ability to transform individual success into teamwork, while Mireia Belmonte, with four Olympic medals and an extraordinary international legacy, was honoured with a special mention as the top UCAM medallist in the Spanish University Championships, with 32 medals - 28 gold - since 2013.

In this atmosphere of emotion and pride, the tribute to the UCAM Legends especially shone out, figures who have taken the name of the University to the highest, consolidating its status as a national and international reference. Among those honoured were Lydia Valentín, with three Olympic medals and 13 world titles; Teresa Portela, with more than thirty international medals and silver in Tokyo; María Xiao, UCAM Cartagena's leading player and triple European medallist; Polina Berezina, world medallist and nine-time Spanish champion in rhythmic gymnastics; and Ray Zapata, Olympic medallist in artistic gymnastics and champion at the 2015 European Games.

The UCAM also wanted to pay tribute to those who, after their sporting retirement, continue to be linked to the institution by contributing to the development of sport through teaching, management or federation representation. Among these UCAM ambassadors, David Cal (five Olympic medals, UCAM Sports Service), Jesús Cantero (runner-up in the Mediterranean Games and sports director of UCAM Murcia Table Tennis), Javier Hernanz (president of the Royal Spanish Canoeing Federation), Jennifer Pareja (general director of ADO and world and European champion in water polo) were recognised, Joel González (Olympic taekwondo champion and lecturer in the Master's Degree in Criminology), Juanma Molina (lecturer of the Bachelor’s Degree in Sports and Physical Activity and world medallist in athletics), Sofía Toro (Olympic sailing champion and manager of the Galician Sports Industry Cluster) and Antonio Peñalver (Olympic runner-up in decathlon and Spanish sports legend).

Recognition of the 2025 successes

The Gala dedicated a special section to the main triumphs of the year, with special mention of UCAM's dominance in the Spanish University Championships, which it has enjoyed for more than a decade, and the return of the Interuniversity Canoeing Trophy. The resolution of the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) was also celebrated, awarding, for the second time, the Joaquín Blume Trophy to UCAM, in recognition of its history of support for sport and its results.

In terms of individual and team awards, the following were honoured, among others:

• UCAM Cartagena Table Tennis: League champion, with its 23rd historic title and third consecutive.
• UCAM eSports: runner-up in the Valorant Rising 2025 and Top 3 in the League of Legends Super League.
• Fátima Gálvez (shooting): world team gold and silver; individual bronze and team silver at the European Championships.
• Alberto Fernández (shooting): silver at the World Team Championships and the European Championships.
• Elia Canales (archery): world gold in the mixed event.
• Mar Molné (shooting): double world gold (individual and team).
• Miguel Ángel López (athletics): team silver at the European Championships.
• Manuel Bermúdez (athletics): team silver at the European Championships.
• Damián Quintero (karate): gold at the World Championships and gold at the European Championships.
• Andreu Blanes (athletics/trail): gold and world bronze; silver in Zegama.
• Carlos Llavador (fencing): European bronze.
• Coti Amundson (hockey): European bronze medal with the Spanish national team.
• Jacobo Garrido (swimming): world silver.
• Rodrigo Germade, Carlos Arévalo and Adrián del Río (canoeing K4): world bronze.
• Sonia Ruiz and Isa López (Wheelchair basketball): silver in the 3x3 World Championship; together with Eva Sebastián and Lucía Ramo, bronze in the European Championship with the Spanish national team.
• María Corbera (canoeing): World bronze and European gold, silver and bronze.

Special tributes

The UCAM dedicated a tribute section to athletes whose career summarises the values of this institution:

• Antía Jácome (canoeing): ten international medals, combining high performance and studies in Early Childhood Education.
• Javier Pérez Polo (taekwondo): world runner-up 2019, studying a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology.
• Paco Cubelos (canoeing): eleven world and European medals, studying a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
• Raquel González (athletics): seven international medals, studying a Master's Degree in Project Management.
• Diego García Carrera (Race Walking): two European and four world medals, he combines his career with studies at UCAM.
• Pablo Martínez (canoeing): World champion 2022 and European runner-up 2023, UCAM MBA student.
• Cayetano García (canoeing): World gold medallist 2022 and European silver medallist 2023, UCAM student.
• Lola Riera (hockey): three-time Olympic champion; World bronze medallist in 2018 and European bronze medallist in 2019, she combined her career with a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine.

The ceremony concluded with unanimous applause for a university community that understands sport as a school of life. UCAM, hand in hand with the COE, thus renews its vocation of service to athletes and its commitment to comprehensive training that harmonises academic excellence and high performance.