Last night, Calpe held its first Sports and Culture Gala, an event created to reward emerging talents from Calpe who have excelled in these fields. In this first edition, Jana Ferrández Díaz and Roger Martínez Bertomeu were the winners of the first prize in culture and sport respectively. A total of five awards were presented in each field, each worth £1,000.
Jana Ferrández Díaz is a young saxophonist from Calpe who began her training at the age of seven and soon stood out for her naturalness on stage, even performing as a soloist at institutional events. She continued her studies at the Professional Conservatory of Altea, where she won two first prizes in the Interpretation Competition with Honourable Mention and the centre's Professional Music Prize. Her external recognition includes a third prize in the Marina Baixa Young Performers Competition and first prize in the 2024 edition. She is currently involved in various chamber music projects and is a member of The Groove Dealers, where she combines alto and soprano saxophones with her own arrangements.
For his part, 17-year-old Roger Martínez has had an outstanding sporting career since his beginnings at CB Ifach Calpee. He was selected for the Spanish Junior Championship, obtaining the distinction of Elite Athlete, and was called up for the Spanish Under-12 team. With Valencia Basket, he was crowned Spanish Junior Champion and, after playing for clubs such as CB Benidorm and CB Ilicitano, he has accumulated further successes, such as a regional junior runner-up title. Back at CB Ifach Calpe, he has already made his debut in the EBA League at the age of just 15 and has been recognised as the best player in international tournaments such as the U17 in Rome.
In the field of culture, the other winners were musicians Juan Espinosa Nieuwenhuis (second prize), Pedro Benlloch Domínguez (third prize) and Kai Lin Chen (fourth prize), as well as visual artist Noelia Lillo (fifth prize). In sports, the winners were athlete Hanan Et Tabaa (second prize), gymnast Tatiana Crimi (third prize), boxer Santiago Saavedra (fourth prize) and tennis player Mario Lozano León (fifth prize).
The aim of these awards is to ‘support local artists on their long and complex journey of personal and creative growth,’ said Councillor for Culture Guillermo Sendra, who encouraged those who did not win to continue working on their artistic creations and to enter future editions.
For his part, the Councillor for Sport, Ximo Perles, stressed that ‘both culture and sport are not only necessary but therapeutic’ and added that ‘children need role models, which is why you, both the winners and the nominees, have an essential role to play in promoting culture and sport in the municipality’.
The Mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, thanked both the winners and the nominees for their work and sacrifice. ‘Thank you for taking the name of Calpe beyond our municipal boundaries, for representing us with such dignity and affection wherever you go’. She also stated that the Town Council firmly believes in the value of sport and culture, something that, she pointed out, is reflected both in the municipal budget, which continues to support these areas, and in initiatives such as this gala, which the council aims to consolidate over time.