The Arrecife Town Council has wrapped up this weekend with the celebration of the city’s patron saint festivities, honouring San Ginés. The events concluded with sporting activities, including the grand final of the San Ginés Football Tournament, which marked its 56th edition in 2025.
Successful Celebrations
The Municipal Government, led by Mayor Yonathan de León, propelled successful patron saint celebrations featuring a diverse array of activities including youth, rock, cultural, folkloric, musical, and sporting events, all under a well-structured programme organised by the respective departments.
Sporting Highlights
The highlighted sporting events received support and collaboration from the Sports Department, headed by the spokesperson councillor of the PP, Eli Merino. This week saw the 56th edition of the San Ginés Football Tournament, directly organised by the Sports Area of the Town Council. UD Lanzarote emerged as the winner, competing against teams like Orientación Marítima, Inter Playa Honda, and CD Tinajo in the women’s triangular event, while UD San Sebastián de los Reyes, Xerez, Tenerife “B”, and UD Lanzarote played in the tournament held at the newly renovated grass pitch at the Ciudad Deportiva Lanzarote.
Acknowledging Contributions
In a tradition followed last year, the Sports Area hosted a reception for nearly 400 representatives from all participating sports clubs from Lanzarote, other islands of the archipelago, and the mainland. This reception took place at a hospitality venue in Arrecife. Various council members were present, including the Sports Councillor, the deputy mayor Roberto Herbón, the councillor for Security and Emergencies Kevin Cortés, and the island’s Sports Councillor Juan Monzón, while Mayor Yonathan de León was away from the island.
Emotional Reflections
During the trophy presentation on Friday night, Eli Merino received a resounding ovation for her speech. She reflected that “some people do not see sport as a clean and participatory activity; they view it as a weapon, if I may use the analogy, akin to Hooliganism, to attack and destroy.”
She noted that the new tournament dates have facilitated additional accommodation for teams travelling to Lanzarote, leading to full hotel occupancy in Arrecife during August, thanks to the successful promotion and quality of the festivities.
Gratitude for Collaboration
In her address, the Sports Councillor expressed her gratitude for the close collaboration of the executive and technical teams from the clubs that accepted the invitation to partake in this historic San Ginés Football Tournament.
Merino also thanked the Inter-Island Football Federation of Las Palmas, Uco Arrocha Seminar, UD Lanzarote, the Referees Committee, the Island Sports Service, the Tourist Centres, Sports Councillor Juan Monzón, and the Lanzarote Foreign Promotion Society and its CEO Héctor Fernández for their support in this celebration of the San Ginés Tournament.
Tribute to a Respected Associate
During the event, which began after 22:30 on Friday evening, Antonio Brito, representing Uco Arrocha Seminar, paid a special tribute that the Arrecife Town Council echoed to the recently deceased Guayo Rodríguez Caraballo, a close collaborator of the sports clubs. His family, present in the audience, received a standing ovation, along with memorial tokens presented by the Town Council, Uco Arrocha Seminar, and UD Lanzarote.
