Santander hosts the meeting "Seve Ballesteros: his impact on the world of golf and on Cantabrian and Spanish sport"
The figure of Seve Ballesteros represents one of the most relevant milestones in the history of Spanish sport. As a professional golfer, Seve reached the highest international level due to his brilliant track record and to the fact that he was considered the best golf player in the world at the time. With his leadership and his active personality, he made a decisive contribution to the expansion of golf in Spain, Europe and the rest of the world. His sporting successes, his values of effort, rigour and professional tenacity and his creativity as a golfer had an extraordinary impact that transcended the whole of Cantabrian and Spanish sport, as well as the projection of Spain's international image. This has been demonstrated both by the media coverage of his career and the international distinctions and awards he has received. Among others, the investiture as Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Saint Andrews.
The Summer Course proposed by the Plaza Porticada Cultural Association and the Santander City Council, within the framework of the Menéndez Pelayo International University, intends to take up this sporting and cultural heritage of Seve Ballesteros in order to highlight the importance of the sporting phenomenon, represented in this case by golf, as an exponent of the projection of values of special transcendence for social progress, the education of young people and cultural exchange at an international level. These values were also a way of strengthening the image of Spain, Cantabria and Santander, and which today continue to nurture the wealth of talent in Spanish sport and its impact on society.
The course is structured in a series of lectures and round tables around three fundamental themes: the human and sporting dimension of Seve Ballesteros in the world of golf; the repercussion of his career on the image of Spanish sport; the impact of sport in Cantabria and Santander at a national and international level.
From an inclusive and transversal perspective, the course aims to incorporate representatives of the different professional and federative golf environments, politicians, opinion leaders, journalists and sportsmen and women to reflect on the proposed topics and contribute conclusions of academic and social interest. With the participation of Severiano Ballesteros' children, Javier, Miguel and Carmen, who keep alive their father's social commitment through the Seve Ballesteros Foundation.
WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY
10.00 Inauguration
Gema Igual, Mayoress of Santander
Elena García Botín, president of the Plaza Porticada Cultural Association Javier Ballesteros Botín, professional golfer and Seve's son
José María Peredo and Enrique Bolado, directors of the course
10.30 'SEVE'S INFLUENCE ON THE EXPANSION OF GOLF IN SPAIN AND EUROPE'.
Lectures:
"Past, present and future of golf in Spain"
Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation
"Golf in Cantabria"
Juan Carlos Alba Cernadas, president of the Cantabria Golf Federation
"Seve's beginnings at Pedreña Golf"
Agustín Mazarrasa, former president of Real Golf de Pedreña.
Presented by: José María Peredo
12.00 Round table: "Seve Ballesteros, best player in the world".
Participants:
Jorge Ceballos, Seve's manager
Joe Collet, Seve's manager
Manuel Ballesteros, Seve's brother and professional golfer
Moderator: María Acacia López - Bachiller, 45 years on the European Tour
13.00 Round table: "Seve's impact on Spanish sport".
Participants:
Miguel Induráin, cyclist, winner of 5 Tours de France and 2 Tours of Italy
José Luis Llorente, basketball player and Olympic medallist
Santiago Segurola, sports journalist and essayist
Moderator: Enrique Bolado
THURSDAY, 21 JULY
10.00 Round table: "Seve and the Ryder Cup: the change of golf paradigm for Europe".
Participants:
Manuel Piñero, member of the European Ryder Cup team. Winner of 21 titles.
Nuria Pastor, journalist (La Vanguardia) specialised in golf.
Sergio Gil, journalist (RTVE) specialised in golf.
Moderator: María Acacia López - Bachiller
11.00 Round table: "The values we share with Seve".
Participants:
Juan Postigo, European and Spanish Champion in adapted golf.
Catherine Lacoste, winner of the US Women Open as an amateur and the British Amateur.
Moderator: Jesús Rodríguez Salvador, Hospitals Programme Director, Seve Ballesteros Foundation.
12.30 Round table: "Seve's image in Cantabria, Spain and the world".
Iñigo de la Serna, ex-Minister of Public Works and ex-Mayor of Santander Jaime Lissavetzky, ex-Secretary of State for Sports
Moderator: Iñigo Noriega, Director of the Diario Montañés newspaper
13.30 Closing