CATALONIA, A COUNTRY TO PRACTISE SPORT IN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, A GROWING NUMBER OF CATALANS HAVE SHOWN AN INTEREST IN TAKING PART IN SPORT. IN SUMMER, THIS INTEREST INCREASES CONSIDERABLY. IF YOU SPEND YOUR SUMMER HOLIDAYS IN CATALONIA,YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT A LARGE PART OF THE POPULATION PRACTISE SOME KIND OF SPORT IN THEIR FREE TIME: EDUARD BOET JOURNALIST hen referring to Catalonia, travel possibly the best conditions for the prac- \ agents' advertising campaigns tice of the various open air activities. At have traditionally tended to con- present, many Spanish sports clubs centrate on the famous sun, the beaches, choose Catalonia for their summer 1 the culture, the artistic heritage and, re- training, in preparation for the Spanish cently, the mountains. Not much has been competition season, which starts in said until now of another possibiliiy which, September. it has lately become clear, is one of the At the moment, there are 52 sports with things holiday-makers in our country are portant tourist areas. There are also many their own federations, that is to say, that most anxious to find, the chance to prac- installations that have been built thanks to are organized and that have installations tise their favourite sport. the initiative of foreigners who have been spread over the country and open both to In the last few years, a growing number of holidaying in Catalonia for some years. federated members and those who wish Catalans have shown an interest in taking Without doubt, the great advantage that to take part sporadically. The latter is part in sports. In summer, this interest Catalonia has to offer when it comes to more frequently the case. Though at i increases considerably. If you spend your sport in summer is the climate. Naturally present more than 400,000 people take sumrner holidays in Catalonia, you will be the weather is warm and sunny, though part in federated sports, the latest esti- able to see that a large part of the popu- without extremes that would be difficult mates made by the organisms responsible I lation take part in sports in their free time. for the human body to resist. According to for administrating sport in Catalonia sug- In recent times, this has led to the prolifer- many top sportsmen and women, the long gest that one in five Catalans regularly ation of sports installations in the most im- summer afternoons in this country offer practise some form of sport. To sum up, SPORT Catalonia has an answer available for al1 one of the most popular activities on the the sporting needs of those who visit; even beaches recently is wind-suríing. The dif- in the case of those specialities which ferent winds that blow on the coasts of have no federation here. One example is Catalonia make this sport very attradive the typically British sport, cricket. At the and the boards can be hired at almost al1 Barcelona Polo Club, a few British the larger towns. residents, along with fellow-countrymen If you are a habitual tennis player, be sure here on holiday, occasionally organize to bring your racket, as you can find cricket matches, an otherwise totally Ün- courts al1 over the country. There are 289 known event in Catalonia. tennis clubs in Catalonia at present and an A run through the different activities which incalculable number of facilities for hire. are most ideally suited to summer has to One of the areas where there is the start with sailing, the most important. Al- highest concentration of courts is Castell- most al1 the Catalan coast offers opportu- defels and Gava, very close to Barcelona. nities for sailing in light yachts. Most The courts to be found here are generally beaches are easy to get to by car and of beaten earth or "tennis-quick". If you trailer and have areas reserved for yacht prefer the latter, you are advised not to handling. As well as this, there are 89 play before five in the afternoon as the sailing clubs distributed amongst the heat can be a problem. If you are a great coastal towns and there are numerous entfiusiast, you would be wise to extend marinas with al1 the necessary facilities for your holiday, because the Count of Godó cruise sailing. This last point is also particu- tournament, which counts towards the larly true of the Balearics, a must for Grand Prix and aitrads the best players in anyone who chooses to sail the Mediter- the world, takes place,in Barcelona in the ranean. Retuming to light yachting, there second week of September. are three places in Catalonia where re- If you play golf, Catalonia now has eleven gaitas are held and which earned the clubs, most of them close to the important praise of -the international organisms tourist areas. For example, on the Costa when they were presented as possible Brava, there is the golf course at Pals. The summer months are not hemost satis- settings for the sailing events of the '92 Near Barcelona, there are those of Vall- factory for the football fans. The league Olympic Games. The three places are the romanes, Sant Cugat and El Prat. Halfway starts in the first week of September, but bay of Roses, on the Costa Brava, the between Barcelona and Tarragona is the there is the Joan Gamper trophy, which is Barcelona coast and the gulf of Sant Sitges course and on the Costa Daurada played in the Camp Nou, in Barcelona, on Jordi, on the Costa Dorada. Indisputably, we find the Tarragona golf club. All these 23rd and 24th August, and in which some facilities, and those of the rest of the coun- of the most important European clubs take try, have been much praised by the ma- part. However, anyone who wants to jority of Spanish golfers, who have been spend the holidays playing will have plen- so successful on the international scene in iy of opporiunities. There is a continuing recent years. tradition of holding a football match at The roads of Catalonia are also a good the local festivities organized by different place for those who want to go footing or towns during the summer. Also, as you will cycling. There are al1 sork of routes to see, any excuse will do to organize a choose from, from very level to the most match: mamed versus single, tourists daring, and always on secondary roads venus locals, etc. You can be sure that with little traffic and with- the surface in wherever you spend your holidays there good condition. For the cycle tourers, will be no lack of opporiuniiy to play. there are more than 100 clubs in Catalo- Don't leave your boots at home, then. nia that organize excursions al1 the year Bear in mind, though, that the majority of round, though especially in summer.-lf you football grounds in Catalonia are of earth consider yourself a good climber, you or grass in not very good condition and must try scaling the mountain of Montser- that, subsequently, the most suitable boots rat. This is a traditional challenge for al1 are those with rubber studs. Obviously, Catalan athletes in general. You can rest you can also play in gyrn shoes, especially assured that, once at the top, you will find one of the fonns that has become so fash- everything you need to recover your ionable over the last few years, indoor energies. This very mountain of Montser- football. If you enjoy playing football, you rat, some 50 kilometres from Barcelona, is can be sure that you will have difíiculty close to the hearts of al1 Catalan climbers. getting out of playing, even if only a short If you enjoy mountain sporis, you will find match. its rock-faces a great aitradion. Obviou- In football, just as in al1 other sports, you sly, you should first get advice from one of will be able to feel at home in Catalonia. the 250 ramblers' clubs in the country. + May the best man win! • .