Badalona’s top athletes come together at La Gala de l’Esport
Badalona City Council held the Gala de l’Esport 2026 last Friday, 6 November 2026, at Olimpic Arena Badalona. The event celebrated the achievements, dedication and careers of the city’s sports organisations and athletes. Organised by Badalona City Council, the celebration brought together around 1,000 local athletes and saw the presentation of up to 160 awards.
The Gala highlighted the results achieved during the 2025/2026 sports season, as well as the contributions of the individuals, organisations and groups working to promote sport in Badalona.
The event featured two categories of awards: sporting achievements during the season and institutional recognitions, honouring outstanding careers, commitment to local sport, the promotion of equality and inclusion, and sporting values.
The mayor, Xavier Garcia Albiol, attended the 2026 Gala de l’Esport.
Karate was the sport with the most awards, receiving 53 distinctions.
Swimmer Mireia Belmonte, Penya Joventut’s young athletes Adrián Torres and Diego Niebla, the Fedamar Joventut team of athletes with disabilities, and Nil Bayó, trial cycling world champion, were among the award winners at the first Gala de l’Esport in Badalona.
© Photograph courtesy of laciutat.cat
Combat sports received the highest number of awards, with 53 distinctions. Oyamas Karate received 35, while Karate Kyokushin received 18. Rhythmic gymnastics was the second most recognised discipline, with 17 awards shared between Club Rítmica GimVanes Sport and Club Rítmica Montigalà. Football and futsal, with 25 awards, also featured prominently, alongside other disciplines such as orienteering, rugby, table tennis, rowing, swimming, basketball and pétanque. The recognised clubs included Club Futbol Bufalà, Club Esportiu Pomar, Club Joventut Badalona, Club Rem Badalona and Club Natació Badalona.
Among the individual athletes recognised were Sílvia Ferrer García, for her achievements in teqball and foottable; Jordi Requejo Coronado, in kickboxing; Daniel Ferrer Robles, in para swimming; and Javier García Vico, in motorcycling. The Gala also presented institutional awards to Manel Amor, 2024 Pitch & Putt world champion; Nil Bayó, last season’s world and Spanish trial cycling champion; and Mireia Belmonte, in recognition of her sporting career. Joventut Fedamar was also honoured for its achievements at the Copa Campeones 2026, organised by the ACB Foundation, and at the Special Olympics in Tarragona, where the team won the gold medal.
The inaugural edition of this Gala, which welcomed more than 1,000 attendees, aims to become a landmark event celebrating the dedication, perseverance and achievements of sport in Badalona.
© Photographs by David Grau.
