Johan Cruyff Institute renews its commitment as a partner of the TRAM Barcelona Open 2021, the international wheelchair tennis tournament and main adapted sports event held in Barcelona, managed by José Coronado, a graduate of the Master in Sport Management at Johan Cruyff Institute
The TRAM Barcelona Open 2021 once again attracted attention as the best international wheelchair tennis competition with the celebration of its fourth edition, from May 19 to 22, 2021, at the facilities of the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. The event, organized and managed by José Coronado, a graduate of the Master in Sport Management at Johan Cruyff Institute and an ambassador of the Fundación Cruyff, counted one more year on the collaboration of Johan Cruyff Institute, which awarded two full scholarships to study the Postgraduate Diploma in Sport Management among all the interested participating athletes.
The event was first held in 2017 and after the forced cancellation last year due to the restrictions of Covid, returned this year with a renewed image. However, to meet all the capacity and safety requirements, participation was limited to 32 registered athletes.
“The project has been able to go ahead, thanks to the work done in previous editions. Despite being a young tournament, we have created a very solid structure. All those involved have a sense of ownership and believe in it, in all the values it promotes and in the importance it has for our society,” explains José Coronado.
“Despite being a young tournament, we have created a very solid structure. All those involved have a sense of ownership and believe in it, in all the values it promotes and in the importance it has for our society” – José Coronado, director of the tournament
After the difficult but coherent decision taken by the ITF (International Tennis Federation) to cancel the tournament in 2020, the organizing team started working on the next edition. “It was a very difficult decision to accept—it is many months of work, effort, hours invested and enthusiasm on the part of the whole team, sponsors and collaborators, but it was the appropriate thing to do,” says José.
For this edition and following the health recommendations and protocols for professional competitions, the organization contacted Procicat (Territorial Plan for Civil Protection of Catalonia) to implement all the measures required for the tournament. “This year we have focused efforts and budgets on organizing the safest tournament possible. All staff at the tournament will have PPE, the safety distance will be maintained, hand hygiene and disinfection of all material will be performed at the beginning and end of each day. Athletes arriving in Spain will have to have presented a negative test 72 hours beforehand. They will undergo a rapid test before the draw and then again 48 hours after the draw, with the aim of guaranteeing maximum protection and safety for all,” explained José on the presentation of the tournament.
“This year we have focused efforts and budgets on organizing the safest tournament possible”
Complementary activities, such as clinics or exhibitions, and the TRAMeduca project, aimed at transmitting to young people the values of adapted sport and the social inclusion of people with functional diversity, were cancelled.
Jeff Vandorpe receives his scholarship from Mariël Koerhuis, general manager at Johan Cruyff Institute.
Mariël Koerhuis, general manager at Johan Cruyff Institute, awards the scholarship to Macarena Cabrillana.
In line with its commitment to promote sport-focused academic training and professionalize the sports industry, Johan Cruyff Institute once again awarded two full scholarships for the Postgraduate Diploma in Sport Management among all interested participating athletes. “After the cancellation of the previous edition, all our sponsors informed us of their intention to continue with us, and to continue counting on them in a year as complicated as this one is a great pride. In addition, three new sponsors have joined the project and all this encourages us to continue working to have, here in Barcelona, a great adapted sports event and one of the best wheelchair tennis tournaments in the world,” says the director of the TRAM Barcelona Open.
