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Chiapas sports director initially fires, then reinstates weightlifting coach amid facility complaints
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

Chiapas sports director initially fires, then reinstates weightlifting coach amid facility complaints

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The director of Indeporte Chiapas, Bárbara Altuzar Galindo, ordered the dismissal of weightlifting coach Manuel López Romero after athletes protested poor facilities.
  • Hours later, Altuzar reversed the decision, asking the Cuban coach to return to training athletes.
  • Athletes, including national champion Celeste Michel Marina, had complained about deteriorating and unsafe conditions at the Indeporte facilities.

The director of the Institute of Sports of the State of Chiapas (Indeporte), Bárbara Altuzar Galindo, initially ordered the dismissal of weightlifting coach Manuel López Romero. This decision came after athletes protested the precarious conditions, neglect, and safety risks within Indeporte's facilities, demanding better infrastructure.

However, hours after the dismissal order, Altuzar rectified her decision. The 72-year-old coach, originally from Cuba and with 10 years of service at Indeporte, was asked to resume his training duties on Monday.

The training area is in poor condition, with uneven and damaged mats, and inadequate equipment. There is a space with a sunken mat.

— Celeste Michel MarinaThe athlete explained the poor state of the training facilities.

Celeste Michel Marina, a national champion weightlifter and criminology student, had previously denounced that the coach's dismissal was imminent. She stated that athletes and López Romero had repeatedly voiced concerns about the deterioration, lack of services, and hazardous conditions in various areas of Indeporte, located in the eastern part of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

He is not doing anything wrong; he is fighting for us to have a good stay and bring back medals. Bárbara was very angry and fired him.

— Celeste Michel MarinaThe athlete explained the coach's dismissal and her perspective on the director's reaction.

Marina, who has won eleven medals in national, regional, and state Olympic competitions, asserted that the request for the coach's resignation lacked justification. She explained that the training area is in poor condition, with uneven and damaged mats, and inadequate equipment. Athletes have suffered injuries due to these unsafe conditions, despite which six weightlifters recently secured an equal number of medals at a national competition.

The coach had directly reported the neglect of the weightlifting area to the authorities. Marina indicated that the director became angry because the coach spoke forcefully about the issues. Altuzar's initial reaction was to dismiss him, but she later reversed the decision, acknowledging the coach's efforts to advocate for better training conditions.

The abandonment in which the weightlifting area is found.

— Manuel López RomeroThe coach had directly denounced the abandonment of the weightlifting area to the authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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