The festivities of the Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna officially began on Thursday, 4 September, with the reading of the proclamation, which, exceptionally, was delivered for the first time not by an individual but by an institution: the Club Baloncesto Canarias La Laguna Tenerife.

The club’s president, Aniano Cabrera, was responsible for giving voice to the sports organisation at a ceremony held in the portico of the Royal Sanctuary of Christ, which was presided over by the mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez; the rector of the Sanctuary, Víctor Álvarez; and the senior slave of the Esclavitud del Cristo, Alexis Díaz Marrero. The event was attended by civic, religious and military authorities and a large audience. The event was enlivened by a musical performance by Lanzarote tenor Pancho Corujo.

Luis Yeray Gutiérrez said that “beyond its successes in national and international competitions, Club Baloncesto Canarias La Laguna Tenerife is an example of sportsmanship, competitive effort, teamwork and a spirit of overcoming any challenge. Not only that, but through its Foundation, the club demonstrates an enormous social commitment, using basketball as a tool for integration and acceptance, and actively participating in solidarity campaigns in favour of those most in need”.

The mayor emphasised that the club ‘represents the best values this city has to offer. Because sport is also part of the heritage of the Cristo festivities, and Club Baloncesto Canarias is part of La Laguna’s heritage’.

Aniano Cabrera expressed ‘the honour and privilege’ it is for the club to give the opening speech for the Cristo festivities in ‘the city we love, for which we feel a pride that is renewed every day, every season, every game,’ assuring that ‘we celebrate the union of sport and respect for our traditions.’

The president of the organisation reviewed the club’s long history and its links with La Laguna, full of memories and anecdotes. ‘To talk about Club Baloncesto Canarias is, at the same time, to talk about our city,’ he said, reaffirming that the team ‘carries the name of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife and the Canary Islands beyond our borders with responsibility, always with dignity and with hearts full of pride’.

“To talk about the Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna is to talk about faith, identity and unity. (…) Every September, the people of La Laguna gather with grateful hearts before this venerated image, a symbol of hope and strength. Because, as in sport, great triumphs are born of dedication, effort and community,” he said.

‘Basketball has always been a much-loved sport in La Laguna, the birthplace of generations of players and fans who grew up dreaming of the yellow and black jersey. We were born and raised here, among these streets, among the life of this city. (…) Today we want to recover that history, honour it together with the City Council of La Laguna, and continue writing new pages together.’

“La Laguna is not only the cradle of knowledge, history and culture of the Canary Islands, it is a university city, open, restless, full of life and traditions. (…) It is a land of basketball and therefore shares deep values with the sport: effort, respect, teamwork, humility, self-improvement and commitment. Club La Laguna Tenerife embodies all these principles, the same ones that beat in the hearts of the people of La Laguna every day,‘ said Aniano Cabrera, recalling that ’in La Laguna, basketball is not only played… it is also felt as part of who we are,‘ and highlighting the significance of wearing the historic foreground of La Laguna on their new kit, with which ’the team pays tribute to that identity”.

The proclamation concluded with an invitation to live the coming days with intensity: ‘May these festivities of Christ remind us of who we are: a city with history, with values, with heart. A city that never walks alone, because it does so united, as a team.’