For them, zero euros; for them, 96 million: "The government's feminism is pure posturing"

Golf changed forever in Spain in 1997 with the famous Ryder Cup in Sotogrande. Seve Ballesteros served as captain, José María Olazábal as team leader and the name of a young man named Sergio García began to be heard.. Edorta Rahm and his wife Ángela became hooked on this sport through the images that came from Valderrama and, therefore, they took their son Jon to give his first classes in the Vitorian field of Larrabea.

Since then, three almost decades have had to pass for Spain, in this case Malaga, to once again be the epicenter of golf.. The Solheim Cup, the confrontation between the best players in Europe and the United States, will become this Thursday the most important women's sporting event to be held in our borders.. Although the Government did not want to find out. Although the event, with a budget close to 20 million euros, ensures a direct return of almost 10 times more, the central Executive has still not contributed a single cent.

A total of 100,000 spectators will pack the Finca Cortesín de Casares field with tickets ranging from 25 euros to attend one of the practice days to 2,500 euros for a VIP experience throughout the week at one of the luxurious hospitality tents. Images of the Costa del Sol and the tournament will be seen in 200 countries, where the tournament will be broadcast live with more than 30 hours of coverage. In Spain, Mediaset and Movistar+ will offer the event while TVE was negotiating this Wednesday in extremis the possibility of televising it.

Deporte & Business, the promoter that achieved the miracle of bringing the Solheim Cup to our country, has been working in silence for a long time and has managed to cover costs thanks to private sponsors and institutions on the Costa del Sol, headed by the Board, but still He has not received anything from the Government.

The void is bleeding since the central administration has allocated 96 million euros to Catalonia's 2031 Ryder Cup candidacy despite the fact that political instability is ruining the options for the Carimal Golf course in Girona.

An image of the training. AP

The president of the Malaga Provincial Council and Costa del Sol Tourism, Francisco Salado, did not overlook the comparative grievance in the presentation of the Solheim Cup. “Zero euros for women's golf in Andalusia compared to millions for men's golf in Catalonia. But then they boast about feminism, it's mere posturing. It's not fair and it doesn't make any sense.. From here I demand an explanation from the Government because the rest of the administrations, the Junta de Andalucía, the Provincial Council and the town councils have been contributing to this international event for five years.. “They have had plenty of time,” he added angrily at the public event held this week.

Given the evidence and at a particularly sensitive moment in which acting ministers of the Executive seek to proclaim equality between women's and men's sports, the Government tried to react in recent weeks through the Higher Sports Council with a subsidy of 1.7 millions of euros. But it cannot be processed until there is a firm Government and, if it is not established before the end of the year, it is very possible that the Solheim Cup will be left without that aid.

European Dominion

In strictly sporting terms, after the opening ceremony on Thursday the ball will start rolling on Friday with the 24 players facing each other, the 12 European players with the presence of Carlota Ciganda as the only Spaniard in the event and the Americans with the number 2 in the world, Llia Vu and number 3, Nelly Korda.

This is the eighteenth edition of the tournament where Europe has won seven editions including the last two. The players are paired in five game sessions, Friday and Saturday there will be a morning and afternoon shift where they will face each other in pairs in fourballs (best ball) and foursome (alternating shots) and on Sunday the Solheim Cup will be decided with the twelve individual matches. The modality will always be match play, match play, with 28 points at stake; Each victory is valued with one point, a draw as a mean. The team that manages to add 14 and a half points will take the trophy, with the exception that in the event of a tie at 14 points, Europe, which defends the title, will retain the cup.