The Catalan Sports Gala celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with the presentation of finalists for the eight categories that will award the trajectory and achievements of Catalan sports. A total of 32 sports federations have submitted candidacies, highlighting the sector's vitality. The gala, commemorating three decades of recognition, will emphasize the international projection of Catalan sports and its capacity to create role models.
Among the nominees for Best Catalan Male Athlete are Oriol Cardona, ski mountaineering Olympic champion; Pau Cubarsí, U20 World Champion with the Spanish national team and player for FC Barcelona; and Toni Bou, reigning world champion in TrialGP and X-Trial. In the female category, vying for the award are Ai Tsunoda, judo world champion; Iris Tió, voted best artistic swimmer in the world by World Aquatics; and Berta Abellán, two-time world champion in TrialGP Women and X-Trial Women.
The Catalan Federation of Sports for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ACELL) will receive the award for Best Federative Management for organizing the Special Olympics Tarragona 2026 Games, held from October 9th to 12th. This edition set a record with over 1,600 participating athletes, 15 disciplines, and the involvement of 600 volunteers, making Tarragona the capital of inclusive sports.
The jury, chaired by the Minister of Sports, Berni Álvarez, the president of UFEC, Gerard Esteva, and the director of the SPORT newspaper, Joan Vehils, has recognized merits such as Guillem Farrés' MX2 world title, Clàudia Pla's European Junior Judo Championship, the sextuple crown of CN Atlètic-Barceloneta, the quadruple title haul of FC Barcelona Femení, and the perfect season by FC Barcelona (handball).
Legendary figures such as Sergio Busquets, Queralt Castellet, and Saúl Craviotto will also be honored, along with the achievements of Pere Romeu and Fran Fernández in the Best Coach category. The Sportsmanship Award will go to Pol Makuri, Pilar Pasanau, and the Hockey+ Project.
