Madrid, June 17, 2025. This Wednesday, 18 June, at 9:30 p.m. local time, the Albéniz Theater in Madrid will host the first edition of the GLORIA Ibero-American Sports Awards, an unprecedented tribute to the values, inspiration, innovation, and power of sport to transform lives and societies. At the ceremony, the Minister of Sports, Jaime Pizarro Herrera, representing the ministry, will receive the GLORIA Award for the Promotion of Sports through Sporting Events, in recognition of the achievements of the Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games, as well as Chile’s awarding of the Special Olympics World Summer Games Santiago 2027, which will be held for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere.
Minister Pizarro highlights the teamwork, both within the department and at the inter-ministerial level, that made these achievements possible placing Chile at the epicenter of major sporting events in the Southern Cone.
“It will be an honor to receive this recognition, as it recognizes the work of an entire ministry, but also the Chilean State, which, through all its institutions and beyond the current governments, has developed a medium and long-term policy for our country to host these events. Events like these generate a multitude of benefits for both competitors and spectators, as well as the incentive that hosting these types of events generates at the national level.
“Chile is a very exceptional country, located in the southern part of the world, offering a natural setting full of contrasts and a wild and beautiful geography for the practice of various disciplines, as well as the stability, seriousness, and commitment already demonstrated in the organization and hosting of the Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games”
As a representative of Special Olympics Chile and President of the Local Organizing Committee for the Santiago 2027 World Games Carolina Picasso proudly celebrated the recognition of the Chilean Ministry of Sports at the Gloria Ibero-American Sports Awards, “This award honors not only the legacy of Santiago 2023, but also the commitment to a future where sport is truly for everyone. Hosting the Special Olympics World Games for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere represents a historic milestone for inclusion, diversity, and development in our country. Thank you, Minister Jaime Pizarro, for leading us down this transformative path with vision and conviction.”
“This recognition confirms that Chile has not only proven itself up to the task by successfully hosting the Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games, but also that it is taking on the new challenges ahead with seriousness and commitment, such as the 2027 Special Olympics World Games. At Imagen de Chile, we value the role of sport as a bridge to show the world the best of our country: its capacity, its inclusion, and its transformative vocation,” said María Teresa Saldías Morales, executive director of Fundación Imagen de Chile.
The Gloria Ibero-American Sports Awards were created with the aim of highlighting the talent, effort, and impact of sport as a tool for social, economic, and cultural transformation in Ibero-America. They also recognize the leading figures in sports within the Ibero-American community.
Twenty-five countries from Latin America and the United States are participating in this first edition, recognizing not only athletes and teams, but also projects, brands, cities, and companies committed to sports from a transformative perspective where excellence, inclusion, sustainability, and innovation in sports are central.
The ceremony will bring together legends, important leaders, and exemplary initiatives that solidify sport as a bridge between cultures, generations, and countries. Among them is Rafael Nadal’s coach and mentor, Toni Nadal, who will receive the GLORIA Honorary Award in Values and Sport.
The gala will take place within the framework of Sports Summit Madrid – SSM which is an international business event in the sports sector that brings together industry players, professionals, athletes, and media outlets to discuss key topics such as digital transformation, sustainability, innovation, and the evolution of sport.
After receiving the award on Wednesday, Minister Jaime Pizarro will speak on environmental sustainability in sports during the Madrid-SSM Sports Summit on Thursday, followed by a presentation at the Ibero-American Forum on Sport, Inclusion, and Sustainability.
