“Helping sports is my goal”

In her days as an active competitor, Anna Irene Delgado would wield a sword and drive her mare eagerly, looking forward with optimism for the days to come.

Today, she has already turned into the leader of the fencing and the alternate deputy of the 8-4 circle, her youthful ideals have not changed.

The young lawyer and athlete recently achieved an important victory for the Panamanian sport, especially fencing, by being placed as part of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Fencing (FIE), becoming the only representative of Latin America in Panama’s highest decision-making body for this sport in the world.

“It was not an easy choice,” admitted Delgado, who based his campaign on the slogan “An Inclusive Fence for Developing Countries,” a formula that earned him the support of 96 of 155 national fencing federations around the world.

The deputy and young athlete thanked the support she received from Panama from the president of the National Fencing Federation, Sol Amiglio de Durate, together with the heads, coaches and athletes of the fencing clubs of Las Margaritas (Chibo), La Correira, Cocle, Balboa Fencing Club and Serrano Club of the capital.

For these elections, 35 nominations were submitted to the FIE Executive Committee, and 15 members had to be selected. Delgado noted that the work and the proposal that we had done convinced the delegates and it was possible to gain the confidence of representatives from other continents, from a sporting career and in Olympic leadership.

Later, at the first meeting of the Executive Committee, Delgado was nominated by the Egyptian representation to occupy the position of vice-president of the International Fencing Federation, achieving the position with 16 votes in favor of him, bypassing representatives of the authorities of this sport such as Italy. France and other countries of the European bloc and the United States.

important appointment

Despite her youth, Anna Irene Delgado presents an impressive resume, which includes the honor of being the youngest female ambassador to Panama in the United Kingdom; She was elected in 2019 as an alternate deputy for the 8-4 district, and in her sports career there are significant victories for Panama, both in equestrian and fencing.

“Winning the position of Vice President of the FIE is a great opportunity to showcase Panama and its fence at the international level. What we want is to promote the sport, through this center, in Panama and Latin America,” he said.

Better days for sports

Anna Irene Delgado is enthusiastic and passionate about sports, especially fencing. “I’m not new to the sport, not just as an athlete but as someone who has helped selflessly, and I think what we have today is the result of all that effort,” he reiterated.

But those efforts have met some setbacks along the way, with an initiative aimed at better supporting investment in sports.

“I am very disappointed in the position of some deputies and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who did not want to discuss the project that I presented, which seeks to create incentives for investment in sports, which has become stagnant today. Panama does not have high-performance centers or high-level conditioning centers,” he said. Delgado: The private company lacks incentives to invest in sports.

Regarding the administration that is being implemented to draw up the “General Sports Law”, the athlete and his former deputy assert that if this initiative is only aimed at creating a Ministry of Sports, it does not seem to be a suitable option.

“If this leads to the transformation of Pandeportes into a sports ministry, without plans, projects or infrastructure for the development of sports and athletes, this will not work; he stressed the need to encourage investment in sports because it is the prerogative of the state, public health and the welfare of the people.