Sports Summit |GLORIA AWARDS RECOGNIZE THOSE TRANSFORMING IBERO-AMERICAN SPORT

The GLORIA Awards for Ibero-American Sport have announced the winners of their second edition. Award recipients will be honored on June 17 during a ceremony at MOM Culinary Institute, as part of SPORTS SUMMIT MADRID – SSM 2026.

Under the theme “Sport Transforms”, the gala will celebrate stories of resilience, inclusion projects, innovative initiatives, sustainability models and outstanding careers that reflect sport’s power to create opportunities, break barriers and build a better future.

Hosted by Cuban actress Laura Ramos, the ceremony will form part of the official program of Sports Summit Madrid 2026, the leading international gathering of the sports industry taking place on June 17–18 at IFEMA Madrid. Following the success of its inaugural edition, the GLORIA Awards return to bring together some of the most influential personalities, institutions and organizations in the global sports ecosystem, further consolidating Madrid as one of the leading meeting points for Ibero-American sport.

The GLORIA Award for Ibero-American Sports Legend will be presented jointly to two global sports icons. Argentine athlete Fernando Belasteguín, widely regarded as the greatest padel player of all time, will be recognized for a career that played a decisive role in the global expansion of the sport after spending sixteen consecutive years ranked world number one. Alongside him, Cuban former MLB player Danys Báez will receive the award in recognition of a career spanning more than a decade in Major League Baseball, establishing him as one of the great figures of Ibero-American baseball.

In the executive leadership category, Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, will receive the GLORIA Sports Leadership Award in recognition of more than two decades leading the Spanish Olympic movement and for his continued commitment to sport as a driver of development, integration and social progress.

Former Olympic gymnast Almudena Cid, a leading figure in Spanish sport and advocate for the educational and social values of sport, will receive the award for Awareness, Education and Training in Sport. The only gymnast in history to compete in four consecutive Olympic finals, she remains one of the most influential ambassadors of women’s sport in Spain and a strong advocate for athlete wellbeing and holistic development.

The Alberto Contador Foundation will be recognized for inspiring new generations of cyclists and for its commitment to youth development, education and inclusion. Founded by the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España champion, the organization has developed international benchmark programs focused on talent development and the values associated with cycling.

Special Olympics Spain will receive recognition for decades of work using sport as a vehicle for inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. Present in more than 170 countries, the organization has transformed millions of lives while promoting a more inclusive and equitable society. It is expected that Her Royal Highness Infanta Elena, Honorary President of Special Olympics Spain, will accept the award.

The International Paralympic Committee IPC will be honored for its decisive contribution to diversity and equal opportunity in sport. Responsible for organizing the Paralympic Games and numerous global initiatives, the IPC represents one of the world’s largest inclusion movements and has helped transform global perceptions of disability through sport. Fernando Riaño, member of the IPC, is expected to accept the award.

The Trinidad Alfonso Foundation, founded by Spanish entrepreneur Juan Roig, will be recognized for playing a decisive role in transforming the Valencian Community into one of Europe’s most dynamic sports territories, generating significant economic and social legacy while supporting initiatives such as the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich and multiple grassroots development programs. The foundation’s cumulative investment now exceeds €125 million.

The River Plate Foundation, one of Latin America’s most respected social organizations, will be honored for its teamwork and for the impact of its educational and integration programs benefiting thousands of children and young people in Argentina through sport-driven inclusion.

The Republic of Peru and the Republic of Argentina will receive recognition for public initiatives that have successfully positioned high-performance sport as a driver of national identity and international projection. Peru consolidated regional leadership after hosting the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games and is preparing to host the event again in 2027. Argentina, through its Secretariat of Sport and the National High Performance Sports Agency ENARD, has developed one of the strongest and most sustainable elite sport funding models in Ibero-America, reflected in its performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

WOW FC will receive recognition for transforming the sports entertainment landscape and successfully connecting combat sports with new audiences through innovative formats.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation, founded in 1924, will receive the Environmental Sustainability in Sport Award for its initiatives focused on reducing the ecological footprint of sporting competitions and promoting more sustainable sport practices.

In the technology category, Amazon Web Services will be recognized for its contribution to digital transformation and innovation in sport. As the technology partner of some of the world’s leading sports organizations — including Formula 1, the NFL and the NBA — AWS leads the implementation of artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and cloud-based solutions in elite sport.

Beyond sporting results, the GLORIA Awards were created to recognize individuals, organizations, institutions and initiatives that use sport as a tool for social transformation. The awards focus on values such as excellence, inclusion, innovation, sustainability and education, while highlighting sport’s ability to create lasting positive impact in society.

With this second edition, the GLORIA Awards reinforce their mission of recognizing those who use sport as a driver of social transformation and as a tool to build a more inclusive, innovative and sustainable society.