A team from the Canary Islands is set to compete in the Korea Open Ssireum Festival, taking place from 30 November to 6 December in Yeongam-gun, South Korea. This event, often referred to as the World Championship of Ssireum for Foreigners, has seen the Canarian wrestlers achieve numerous victories in recent years.
The delegation comprises six male wrestlers, known as puntales, and two female wrestlers, including notable figures such as Eusebio Ledesma, Elieser Gutiérrez, Alberto Zamora, Ismael Déniz, Raúl Peñate, and Francisco Pérez, alongside Delioma Armas and Lorena Mateo. This participation aims to showcase the potential of Canarian wrestling on an international stage.
The team was presented on Wednesday at the Vice-Ministry of Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, with attendance from Lorena Hernández, the Director General of Indigenous Sports, and Francisco Rivero, the President of the Canarian Wrestling Federation. Their participation is supported by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, led by Poli Suárez, through the General Directorate of Indigenous Sports.
As the team prepares for this competition, they aim to build on their past successes in a sport that gathers athletes from countries with deep-rooted traditions in traditional wrestling, such as Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, China, and Italy.
During the presentation, Lorena Hernández praised the achievements of the island's wrestlers, highlighting their ability to adapt their skills to different disciplines. She stated, "It is immensely valuable that our athletes can not only compete at the highest level in Canarian wrestling but have also become international references in disciplines like Korean ssireum. This reflects the extraordinary preparation of our wrestlers and the quality of our sport, which continues to carry the name of the Canary Islands worldwide."
Francisco Rivero emphasised the "richness of our Canarian wrestling," which has enabled the Canary Islands to become the territory with the most victories in this competition in recent years, thanks to the "great technical and physical abilities of our wrestlers." He also expressed gratitude for the support from the Government of the Canary Islands, which has helped strengthen the ties between the two wrestling styles. This collaboration was notably highlighted last summer during a cultural exchange event at Las Canteras beach, where thousands enjoyed a spectacle that garnered international attention.
The team will be led by three world champions: Eusebio Ledesma Pérez from Chimbesque, Elieser Gutiérrez Pérez from Almogarén, and Alberto Zamora Sánchez from Unión Gáldar, who will return to compete in Korea with prior experience of reaching the top of the podium. They will be joined by puntales Ismael Déniz Cruz from Unión Agüimes, Raúl Peñate Rodríguez from Aridane, and Francisco Pérez Cejas from Castro Morales. The female representation includes Delioma Armas Calderín from Santa Rita and Lorena Mateo Pérez from Almogarén.
Norberto Marrero Gordillo, the technical director of the Canarian Wrestling Federation, will head the expedition, assisted by Master Shin, who has been instrumental in fostering sporting exchanges between the Canary Islands and Korea for over four decades.
The presence of the Canarian team in South Korea marks a new chapter in the long-standing relationship between these two wrestling traditions. This collaboration was highlighted last summer with the cultural exchange at Las Canteras beach in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where thousands enjoyed an exhibition featuring representatives from both Canarian wrestling and Korean ssireum.
To bring this experience closer to fans in the islands, the Canarian Wrestling Federation will deploy a communication team to South Korea to provide daily updates on the competition and the participation of Canarian athletes. The production company El Plan, responsible for broadcasting the programme "Terrero y Gloria" for Televisión Canaria, will send a photographer and journalist Jorge Benítez to document the experience. Coverage will also continue through the Federation's social media channels.
