III INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PEÑAS IN BADAJOZ

We had known for some time about the celebration of the III International Congress of Atlético Madrid Peñas in Badajoz. Our president headed there to collaborate in the organization of the event and, above all, to represent our Peña. The event was organized by the International Union of Peñas under the sponsorship of Cívitas and took place on the 14th and 15th of October.

On Friday, we traveled there to begin organizing everything. Alonso, from the Badajoz-based Peña “Tos por igual,” generously offered his restaurant for a meal for those of us arriving and, in the evening, for an informal dinner that turned out to be a great success. The most festive among us ended the night in one of the city’s trendy venues, while others went straight to the hotel, as the next day promised to be a long one. On Saturday morning, we started distributing accreditations to those arriving at the Río and NH hotels. Welcome bags were prepared for the attendees, containing small tokens of welcome, and it was a pleasure to get to know the different members of the Peñas and reunite with those we already knew.

The day began with a cocktail reception in the gardens of the Río hotel under splendid weather (despite the rain that had been forecasted) and a festive atmosphere. The hotel was bathed in red and white. Journalists Rubén Uría, Carmen Calvo, Miguel Martín Talavera, and Antonio Ruiz later took part in a discussion with some supporters while others participated in the mus tournament that was taking place concurrently. In the afternoon, the official Atlético Madrid bus arrived at the Río hotel (entering the city with a motorcycle escort), and legends such as Luiz Pereira, Cacho Heredia, Adelardo, and Manolo Sánchez Delgado, among others, disembarked.

Such emotions called for a gala dinner, which began with a wonderful rendition of the Atlético Madrid anthem by Claudia Abela, accompanied on the piano by Pedro Monthy and Pedro Martínez on the violin. The dinner concluded with a dance, during which I danced a pasodoble with Adelardo, a memory I will cherish forever.

The following day, Sunday, the event was given a grand finale at noon: a charity match was held at the El Vivero Stadium between Atlético Madrid Legends and Veterans of C. D. Badajoz. The proceeds were donated to the ELA Foundation of Extremadura.

Events like this serve to unite Peñas, creating a sense of unity and strengthening what we already are: a red and white family.

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