Because sport is business (and not only for physiotherapists)
Ah, Aguascalientes, that place famous for its hot springs and, apparently, for becoming the new playground for national athletes. Governor Tere Jiménez Esquivel announced with great fanfare (and surely a PowerPoint full of ascending graphs) that the state will host four sports competitions in the coming months. The prize? An economic spill of 75 million pesos. Because nothing unites people more than other people’s sweat and moving money.
More than nine thousand people are expected to arrive, including athletes, coaches, tourists and, supposedly, those mythological beings who travel only to “cheer” but we ended up in a bar watching the event via streaming. The governor, in an outburst of tourist poetry, declared: “We want the world to know the natural wonders of the national territory and the greatness of our history.” Of course, because nothing says “historical greatness” like a Hyathlon or a limalama championship (yes, that exists).
Gold (or at least silver medal) infrastructure
The Secretary of Tourism, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, was not left behind in the praise festival: “Aguascalientes has an impressive sports infrastructure”. And yes, what other state can boast Olympic-sized swimming pools, velodromes and world-class stadiums? Well, apart from CDMX, Guadalajara, Monterrey… But hey!, here sports tourism is “unique”.
As if that were not enough, José Luis Sosa Limón, president of the Mexican Sports Tourism Council (COMETUD, because every good project needs an unpronounceable acronym), assured that this will put Aguascalientes on the map. On what map? In the case of sporting events that generate economic spillover, of course. Because, in the end, the important thing is not to compete, but to leave the bills in the state.
The events range from the Supreme National Basketball Championship (where, surely, everyone is over two meters tall) to the Gravel “El Gigante de México” (spoiler: it does not include giants, only cyclists suffering on dirt roads). And you couldn’t miss limalama, that martial art that sounds like an exotic dessert but which, they say, is more intense than an overdose of coffee.
The ultimate goal? That Aguascalientes stops being just “the place for carnivals” and becomes “the place where you break your ankle in national competitions.” And, incidentally, may hoteliers and restaurateurs rub their hands with joy at the arrival of thousands of visitors hungry… for victory (and tacos).
Were you as excited as we were? Share it and discover more events that put Mexico in motion (and state coffers too)!
