This decision by the Ministry of Defence will open many professional doors for top-level sportsmen and women and they will be able to combine it with their sporting careers.

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The Armed Forces will allocate 50 places to elite sportsmen and women from 2025 onwards

The Ministry of Defence has taken the innovative step of opening the doors of the Armed Forces to elite athletes. From next year, 50 places in the call for troops and sailors will be reserved exclusively for high-level athletes who wish to combine their sporting career with a professional career in the army. This agreement, a pioneer in Spain, is inspired by European models such as that of Italy, where it has already been successfully implemented.

The agreement was presented at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) in Madrid, in the presence of the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, and the President of the COE, Alejandro Blanco. Among those present were more than 50 athletes, including several who were part of the Spanish delegation at the Paris Olympic Games, such as the bronze medallist canoeist Carlos Arévalo, a corporal in the army.

How will this new option for athletes work?

The call for applications will open at the beginning of 2025 and will be aimed at elite athletes between the ages of 18 and 29, provided that they have passed Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO). Athletes must be accredited as such by the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) and, like the rest of the applicants, will go through a selection process that includes physical, medical and psychological tests.

Once they have passed the process, those selected will join a military training centre, where they will receive basic training before being assigned to the unit of their choice. This will be a crucial step in acquiring essential knowledge of military life, enabling them to combine their sporting career with a professional life in the Armed Forces.

Athletes will be able to remain in the rank of troops and sailors until retirement age, or opt for promotion to non-commissioned officer or officer, where there is no age limit to remain in active service.

Advantages beyond sport

One of the most important aspects of the agreement is that it not only seeks to strengthen high-level sport within the army, but also to offer a long-term career path for sportsmen and women. As explained by Lieutenant General Pedro García Cifo, Director General of Recruitment and Military Education, the athletes will have the option of leaving the army after a period of time if they wish to do so. Thanks to the military training acquired, they will be able to reintegrate into the labour market or access positions in the public administration or police forces.

Moreover, the collaboration between sport and the armed forces is not only limited to the professional sphere, but also fosters shared values, such as comradeship, discipline and love of country, something that both Minister Robles and Alejandro Blanco emphasised during their speeches. ‘The union between elite sport and the Armed Forces is unbeatable,’ said Robles, adding that both groups share “values of sacrifice and service”.

The vision of sportsmen and women

Carlos Arévalo, Olympic canoeist and member of the Army since 2016, shared his experience during the event. The Galician athlete highlighted that since joining the Armed Forces, he has achieved his best results in sport, including a silver medal in Tokyo 2021. ‘I have fulfilled all my dreams thanks to the values of work, effort and perseverance that the Army has instilled in me,’ said Arévalo, who is currently stationed in the Regiment “Príncipe” number 3 in Asturias.

Loreto Pastor, a lieutenant commander in the Navy, also took part in the colloquium, highlighting how military discipline and elite sport complement each other perfectly, offering a platform for personal and professional development for sportsmen and women.

An important step forward for Spanish sport

Alejandro Blanco did not want to miss the opportunity to stress the importance of this agreement, a demand which, according to him, Spanish sport had been calling for for almost two decades. ‘We are united by many things, but above all by our values. Both the Armed Forces and the sportsmen and women represent the best of Spain’, said the COE President.