The Sports Department of Elche City Council has entered into a partnership with Toulouse to develop collaborative sports projects at a European level, aimed at providing new opportunities for athletes, clubs, and coaches in the city. This initiative also seeks to strengthen the ties between the two municipalities, which have been officially twinned since 1982.
J. Antonio Román, the Sports Councillor, alongside Damien Consola, the Director of Sports for Toulouse, emphasised the longstanding relationship between the two cities, which has now evolved to include a focus on sports collaboration. As part of an Erasmus programme, a sports delegation from Toulouse visited Elche this week, touring various facilities and holding meetings with local sports officials and the Ilicitano Sports Foundation to identify areas for cooperation and establish future agreements.
Román stated, “We face the challenge of jointly tackling ongoing European projects, exploring candidacies and European cooperation programmes for technicians, entities, and grassroots sports personnel.” He added, “This initiative aims to promote collaboration between two cities that are passionate about sports and share many similarities in terms of the level of their sports clubs, allowing us to learn from each other.”
The collaboration lines that Elche City Council intends to explore with Toulouse include exchanges between sports clubs, organisation of meetings and tournaments, training for coaches and technicians, as well as cooperation in inclusive and adapted sports. The aim is to expand the existing institutional, social, and cultural ties established since 1982 by initiating projects that benefit athletes, clubs, and coaches.
Additionally, there are plans to share experiences in managing sports facilities, organising competitions, and participating jointly in European training and cooperation programmes. The goal is to develop agreements that foster a stable sports relationship between the two cities and facilitate the participation of their respective sports entities.
Román remarked, “We have clubs, professionals, and facilities that can contribute significantly to other cities, but we also have much to learn from them. That is the essence of European cooperation: sharing experiences and turning them into opportunities for our citizens.”
Consola, the Director of Sports in Toulouse, expressed optimism about the partnership, stating, “This is just the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between our cities and teams, as we share many challenges and issues related to sports.” He noted that the purpose of the visit was “to showcase what you do here, exchange experiences with the teams, and learn from one another.”
Román also highlighted that the twinning between Elche and Toulouse was established to foster closer ties between European cities and promote cultural, social, and institutional cooperation. Notably, a replica of the Dama de Elche, an important archaeological find, is located in the Compans-Caffarelli garden in Toulouse, symbolising the bond between the two cities. Furthermore, in 2022, Toulouse supported Elche's bid to host the Spanish Space Agency, and in 2023, it hosted an exhibition related to Ilicitano heritage.
