OPINION: Politicians robbing athletes

The kidnapping of Panamanian sports federations and organizations by some members of the political class has become an issue of the electoral campaign. From $400 baseball bats that never reached the hands of their recipients, to supposed economic aid to amateur sports teams that did not receive them, the big losers of the politicking feast with the resources of the sport have been the athletes. Against this, the seven presidential candidates had the opportunity to study the series of documentaries called Sports Abduction and reacted with their proposals and approaches to the sport. Although there is a promise to present bills that will exclude elected politicians from the management of sports entities that receive funds from the State, These proposals will have to be approved by some of the sport’s kidnappers, that is, the deputies of the National Assembly. The candidates promise us that sport will be more important in their government and that Pandeportes will have more autonomy. We hope that these promises do not have the same fate as those of “zero corruption”, “500 athletes in the Olympics” or “the people first”.- LA PRENSA, Mar. 11