Colombia becomes this June 14 in the first South American country to have a space in the Invictus Games that will take place in 2023 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The objective of this event is that those who have injuries or illnesses after having been part of the military forces of their respective countries find in sport a possibility of resilience. For this reason, year after year veterans from more than 20 nations gather to play in this competition that It has already been carried out in countries such as the Netherlands, the United States, Canada and Australia, among others.
Next year Colombia will join this list of participants who will play in this Invictus Foundation competition, which was created by Prince Henry of England, who also devised these games.
David Wiseman, director of the foundation, was precisely visiting Colombia at the beginning of February and learned first-hand how they work in the Directorate of Veterans and Inclusive Rehabilitation (Divri).
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“I was very impressed with Colombia. The athletes I met during my visit impressed me with their positive attitude because they didn’t let their injuries define them, they were living their lives beyond their injuries, which is a core component of our mission at the Invictus Foundation,” Wiseman said. dialogue with this newspaper.
In addition, he added that he is convinced that the retired Colombian military are ready to compete on a world stage. “It became clear to me that injured and ill veterans are very committed to sports as a catalyst for rehabilitation,” he said.
The director told EL TIEMPO that the selection to choose the delegation that will go to the games will depend on Colombia. However, he advised that when thinking about who will take part, “you have to consider not so much who is the strongest or best in the sport, but who would have the most significant impact on their rehabilitation path.”
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international wording)
I was very impressed with Colombia. The athletes I met during my visit impressed me with their positive attitude because they did not let their injuries define them,
The foregoing, since as Wiseman assures, these games they are not focused on medals or wins, but rather on the impact they can have on each player’s recovery.
Major General (r) Alberto Sepúlveda, director of the Directorate of Veterans and Inclusive Rehabilitation (Divri), said: “We are proud to be the first country in Latin America to participate in the Invictus 2023 Games in Düsseldorf (and to) see how the Sport physically, psychologically and socially transforms the lives of the men and women of the Armed Forces and the National Police, who are resilient to the traces of the conflict.”
The veterans of our country will not only have the opportunity to play in this competition, but also They will be part of the Invictus Community of Nations, since Colombia was also linked in 2022, as was Nigeria.
The Invictus Games Foundation is delighted to welcome #Colombia & #Nigeria to the #Invictus Community of Nations!
Joining allows access to @weareinvictus‘ work beyond the Games to further the benefits of sport recovery for wounded, injured & sick service personnel & veterans.
— Invictus Games Foundation 💛🖤+💜 (@WeAreInvictus) May 18, 2022
In this regard, Wiseman commented that the decision to include the country was made after determining that it has “a lot to teach” about the experiences after the armed conflict, since Many people suffer from illnesses or injuries caused by war.
“We are looking forward to welcoming you into our community. Colombian veterans will be able to access our online platform which is closed to members. It has a social function. For example, someone here from Colombia can talk to someone from Germany who has a similar experience or injury and help each other. It is a great way to share and learn from other people. That can help them understand their wounds, illnesses and processes,” says the director.
In addition to this, Divri members will have access to: expeditions, competitions in leagues, thematic conferences and webinars of various recovery and rehabilitation experiences and a grant program to support Paralympic athletes in the participation of different sports.
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We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community
Regarding this new alliance, First Corporal Daniel Ignacio Urbina, a veteran of the National Army, celebrated that Colombia is among the invited countries of the Community of Invictus Nations and mentioned that “it is an honor to represent the veterans of my country before this communitybecause I know that they will be new lessons in addition to demonstrating that the Colombian military and police are strong in sports”.
💛🖤| Thank you. For your support. Your stories. Your achievements and most of all your unconditional love. It was an honor to have you all here in The Hague for #IG22. We are proud that we were able to host this fifth edition, together with all of you. You are Invictus. pic.twitter.com/diK42K6O8v
— Invictus Games The Hague 2020 (@InvictusGamesNL) April 22, 2022
From the United Kingdom there are many expectations about this inclusion. “I am very excited to see how Colombia will do at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf next year, especially in sports where I have already seen their great skill such as cycling, athletics, swimming and volleyball,” concluded Wiseman, who hopes that since the foundation achieve support people who have served the country so that, through sport, they can see beyond the illnesses and injuries caused by years of war.
ELTIEMPO.COM
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