- The initiative, promoted by ISA INTERCHILE and ISA INTERVIAL in conjunction with the Ganamos Todos Foundation, aims to promote physical activity and sports for girls and boys in these communities, encourage teamwork, inclusion, and respect for fair play.
Calama, November 16, 2022. – The first Inclusive Soccer Tournament for boys and girls from the communes of Calama and Sierra Gorda kicked off at the El Olivo fields in Calama, Antofagasta Region. The tournament seeks to promote healthy habits through physical activity and foster values such as teamwork, solidarity, respect for the opponent, integration, and inclusion.
Six local schools (five from Calama and one from Sierra Gorda) and more than 144 children and young people will participate in the inclusive tournament, which began with a Sports Festival and the delivery of official clothing for each mixed team. In coordination with the Municipalities of Calama and Sierra Gorda, the initiative is organized by the Ganamos Todos Foundation, INTERCHILE electric transmission company that operates the Encuentro-Lagunas Line between the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions, and ISA INTERVIAL, operators of interurban concessions who have a presence in the region through Ruta del Loa (currently under construction).
“We appreciate these types of sporting events and the commitment of ISA and the Ganamos Todos Foundation, with whom we have worked on other occasions in Calama. The doors are open for this activity to return to our city in the future and for more boys and girls to be motivated by sports,” said the Mayor of Calama, Eliecer Chamorro.
Prior to the start of the tournament, the team from Fundación Ganamos Todos offered workshops on refereeing and coaching for anyone who wants to train and deepen their football concepts. Harold Mayne-Nicholls, former president of the ANFP (National Professional Football Association) and current president of Fundación Ganamos Todos, highlighted that “after a long period with limited physical activities due to the pandemic, it is a tremendous source of pride to join ISA Interchile, ISA Intervial, and the municipalities of Sierra Gorda and Calama in this project that involves girls and boys from these localities. We will surely see many young people enjoy sports competition during these days, but mainly be able to coexist with the principles and values of life that sports delivers”.
From the organization, Álvaro González, Manager of Institutional Relations at ISA INTERCHILE, who has been promoting this initiative with Fundación Ganamos Todos since 2021, explains that “sport, like energy, connects us with other people and enables social integration, which we have seen in previous tournaments in Vallenar and Freirina. With this initiative that now reaches the Antofagasta Region, we want to create a community around healthy habits that, in turn, strengthen values as important as discipline, respect, and collaborative work.”
Meanwhile, from ISA INTERVIAL, who are joining this edition in support of the sports initiative, they emphasized that “at ISA INTERVIAL, we work every day to connect people, not only from one point of the country to another, but also to generate a real connection with the communities where we operate. We believe that sport is an excellent way to connect, and these types of activities, aimed at families and especially children, allow us to establish long-term relationships,” said Carlos Kutscher, Deputy Manager of Strategy and Corporate Affairs.
The grand final of the Inclusive Soccer Tournament, which seeks to promote sports as a platform for integral well-being and inclusion, will be held on Wednesday, December 7th.
