Portal de Noticias del Gobierno de Canarias: Luchada Institucional por el Día de Canarias

A meeting with vernacular sports that brought together authorities, fans, and tradition at the Morro Jable arena on the occasion of Canary Islands Day

CL Saladar de Jandía defeated CL Castillo (12-10); Adriana González, Sandra Sosa, and Selene Cabrera conquered the female challenges in the cadet, youth, and senior categories

The Institutional Luchada for Canary Islands Day, held this Friday at the Terrero Manuel Mederos «Pollo Apolinario I» in the municipality of Pájara in Fuerteventura, marked the end of the II Canary Islands Traditional Sports Week, an initiative by the Government of the Canary Islands, promoted through the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity, and Sports, which has brought vernacular games and sports to educational centers and public spaces throughout the Canary Islands.

The event, attended by the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Physical Activity and Sports, Ángel Sabroso, and the Director General of Native Sports, Lorena Hernández, among other authorities, once again reaffirmed the commitment of the Canarian Government to the preservation and promotion of the traditional sport that is so significant for the identity of the archipelago.

This edition of the event featured a novel format, as instead of the traditional luchada between island teams, the luchada was official, with a match between the local team, CL Saladar de Jandía, and CL Castillo del Romeral from Gran Canaria, corresponding to the final round of the DISA Canary Islands First Men’s Category Tournament. After an exciting duel, the team from Fuerteventura prevailed over the Gran Canaria team with a score of 12-10.

During the men’s match, there were some exciting moments with three female wrestling challenges. The wrestlers Selene Cabrera, Miriam Arrocha, Yamilet Lorenzo, Sandra Sosa, Lucía Afonso, and Adriana González engaged in different bouts that showcased the high level of this growing discipline in the cadet, youth, and senior categories, with victories for Adriana González from CL Maninidra; Sandra Sosa from Unión Tetir; and Selene Cabrera from Chacaica Guanches, respectively.

Prior Recognitions

Before the start of the luchada, there was an institutional recognition ceremony by the Canarian Wrestling Federation. Firstly, a tribute was paid to referee Enrique García Hernández, who ended his professional career this season after a lifetime dedicated to refereeing in the Canarian arenas.

Subsequently, the 2025 Canary Islands Day distinctions were awarded to individuals and entities distinguished for their commitment to the promotion, development, and dissemination of Canarian wrestling, as proposed by the various island federations.

Those honored included Luis Rodríguez Ramírez, for his support from the business sector in Fuerteventura; Eulogio Ramírez López, for his career as a referee and executive in Gran Canaria; Miguel Ángel García Reyes, for his dedication for over three decades in Lanzarote with CL Deportivo Tías; and Romen Luis Castro, «Catire IV», whose legacy as a wrestler has left a mark in Tenerife. Also recognized were Jorge Francisco Rodríguez Hernández and Raimundo García Mesa, linked respectively to the Candelaria and Unión Antigua clubs, for their exemplary dedication and contribution to the recent history of this sport. Additionally, Daniela Batista Padrón, one of the main promoters of women’s wrestling in La Palma, was also honored.

II Traditional Sports Week

With the institutional luchada this Friday, the Government of the Canary Islands concluded a week of intense activities dedicated to the dissemination, practice, and recognition of its traditional sports, reaffirming its commitment to the protection of the cultural and sporting heritage of the islands.

The II Canary Islands Traditional Sports Week kicked off last Saturday with the inaugural ceremony in the municipality of Teror in Gran Canaria and has since carried out activities across the archipelago throughout the week. On Monday, the program started in La Palma with school meetings at the Pérez Pulido High School in Los Llanos de Aridane, focusing on games like the Canarian ball, calabash, or pelotamano. That same day, in Gran Canaria, there was a demonstration of Latin sailboats at the Sports Dock in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with workshops for students.

On Tuesday, the activities moved to La Gomera, where an island-wide school gathering was held around the Torre del Conde in San Sebastián, featuring demonstrations of traditional modalities like pina, billarda, tángana, shepherd’s jump, or stick game.

Wednesday was Tenerife’s turn, with exhibition sessions at Finca El Llano in Los Realejos, showcasing disciplines like cattle dragging, stone lifting, and plow lifting. On the same day, in Lanzarote, students participated in activities related to Latin sailboat dinghies at Playa del Cable in Arrecife.

On Thursday, the Week arrived in El Hierro with initiation sessions and garrote canario exhibitions at the Tigaday Infant and Primary Education Center in the municipality of La Frontera. This was the penultimate event before the celebration this Friday in Fuerteventura of the Institutional Luchada, which marked the end of the sports events program organized by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity, and Sports.

Canary Islands Month, a month to celebrate our identity

The idea of ​​celebrating Canary Islands Month, instead of just one day, aims to showcase the cultural, heritage, and social diversity over several weeks. It is an opportunity for knowledge and appreciation of the islands’ culture to reach every corner of the archipelago and even transcend borders.

This is the second consecutive year in which Canary Islands Day is celebrated throughout the month. This year, the program includes over 75 activities across all the islands, under the theme ‘Pride of who we are’.

The schedule for Canary Islands Month can be found on the Government of the Canary Islands website (in addition to daily updates on the social media of the Government Presidency and the departments organizing each activity.