Toledo Launches ‘Deporte DipuProtegido’ Program to Safeguard Youngโ Athletes
Toledo, Spain – The Toledo Provincial Council has launched โ’Deporte โDipuProtegido,’ a comprehensive program aimed โat preventing sudden death in young athletes participating in sports activitiesโ across Castilla-La Mancha. The initiativeโ will โฃprovide voluntary andโค periodic sporting aptitude tests for children aged 6 to 13, offering crucial health screenings and promoting safe sporting practices.
The program,โ announced today, underscores the Council’s commitment to the health and well-being of athletes, accordingโ to the Council President, whoโข stated the program “symbolizes the institution’s commitment to health and well-being of athletes” and aims to “protect the lives of those who practice sports and promote healthy habits since childhood.”
Spearheaded by the Sports representative, Pilar Martรญn, ‘Deporte DipuProtegido’ is founded on the principle that “doing sport should be synonymous with doing it safely.” the plan ensures that “everyโค child โฃor young person whoโฃ participates in provincial sports activities โand schools does so with complete โฃpeace of mind and with all โฃthe guarantees.”
The check-ups, conducted by professionals โขfrom โขthe Sportsโค Medicine Service, will โฃinclude a detailed medical history, complete physical examination, and an โคelectrocardiogram. These tools are vital โfor detecting hidden cardiac pathologies that can lead to โฃsudden death, aโข concern highlighted by Dr. Valle Guรญo, who noted that while uncommon, sudden death “represents one of the main causes of โmortality among apparently healthy young people.”
The program carries a symbolic cost of 12 euros per child. Beyond immediate health โbenefits, the โinitiative will also serve as a foundation for futureโฃ research โฃstudies on the prevalence of cardiac pathologies in the region’s youth โฃpopulation.
The initiative has garnered praise from leading experts, including Araceli Boraita,โฃ president of theโค Quaes โคFoundation, who emphasized thatโ “with appropriateโ measures, upโ to 87% of cases can be saved.” Josรฉ Durรกn, presidentโ of the Spanish Association against Sudden Death, shared aโ personal story, stating, “I lost my son inโ training.If he had had a checkup,maybe he would be alive today,” underscoring the critical importance of periodic examinations.
The Toledo Provincial Council aims to establish itself as a pioneering institutionโ in theโฃ preventionโค of sudden death in sports at school age, reinforcing its dedication to health,โ safety, and responsibleโ sports throughout Castilla-La Mancha.