‘This regulation should not have existed’ | Relief
Granada athlete Angel Simon and his club Rítmica Alhambra La Zubia recently suffered discrimination after they were penalized for participating in a competition with makeup at the last pre-cup championship of Andalusia in rhythmic gymnastics, held in Seville.
The sanction was imposed because the Andalusian Gymnastics Federation acted for several months. a rule prohibiting the use of makeup in the men’s category. Angel knew this, but he was not going to change his lifestyle: “I use makeup in everyday life, it is a way of self-expression. We knew about the existence of this rule, we were already fined”He said this in an interview with Relevo.
The norm had already changed, but it wasn’t that easy. After Angel’s affair, the Federation didn’t seem to have much regret: He sent out an email to all clubs reminding them of the existence of this rule. The news went viral thanks to a post by her trainer Paula Puertas and a video of her boyfriend on social networks. “This is proof that social media works. I have no hard feelings towards the Federation, even though they didn’t reconsider their decision the first time, it hurts me because this rule should never have existed.”
Despite the bad news about his suspension, the 18-year-old is glad it can help change the situation: “I am very happy not only for myself, but also for the fact that I can help other people who suffer from injustice. We should all strive for logical equality, and even more so in sports.”adds Angel Simon.
“I do this for the sake of equality, which should exist in all sports, and especially in sports in which boys compete with girls.”
Gymnast
Angel will no longer compete this year and He is already focused on next season, in which he will take part in the Spanish Championship.. We hope that the judges will evaluate him and all participants on performance, and not on extra-sports considerations.