Jonathan Zambrano Chila, known as Gato Chila, does not let the lack of financial support from the National Government stop him from fighting for a spot to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the ISA World Surfing Games, to be held in May in El Salvador.
The 28-year-old athlete, born in General Villamil Playas, talked to this newspaper about the efforts he is making to self-finance himself and his training to qualify for the major sports event.
Why was your financial support from the High Performance Plan of the Ministry of Sport withdrawn?
Until 2018, I was part of it. Due to the economic problems the country faced, they started withdrawing support from several athletes and only left the elite, which in this case is Dominic Mimi Barona, and I think that's great because she has earned it through hard work. The title I won as Latin American champion (in November 2018, in El Salvador) did not help me obtain the score required by the Ministry to maintain support and receive funding in 2019.
The people managing this should know when the major surfing tournaments take place; for example, they should be aware that not every significant event happens every month. The other athletes who are still supported have more frequent events, which is not the case in this discipline.
Which championships allow you to score and obtain funding from the Ministry of Sports?
Participating in the Latin American Circuit tournaments allows us to qualify, but just registering with the World Surf League (WSL) has a cost of $1500. This is a high amount that gets added to the expenses generated by air tickets, lodging, food, etc., to compete in the United States, Europe, Hawaii, and other places around the world, and the Ministry should take that into consideration.
And how do you get the money to cover all your expenses?
So far, I only have two sponsors - EC Surfer and Ecuasal, but I hope that knocking on some doors (of private companies) will grant me support to travel to tournaments and represent my country at the highest level. By the end of this month, I hope to reach an agreement.
What has the Federation of this sport done for you?
They are supporting us a lot; they organize competitions, with the support of private companies, to give surfing more strength. What is lacking is more money so that the economic incentives can be better, because there are many people who come from Manabí, Esmeraldas, and other provinces and they make a significant expense. A good prize for them to recover their investment and be more motivated would be great.
And thinking about the World Surfing Games, how is your preparation going?
I am in good physical condition. What I am practicing the most is maneuver explosion on waves with a lot of height and speed. I have been to El Salvador a lot and I know the movement of the sea. It is necessary to be two months in advance for the competition, and for that, I am preparing myself well mentally, in terms of nutrition, and other aspects. As part of my preparation, I have scheduled to compete in Puerto Rico and Barbados, alongside Mimi; the waves there are very good for training.
"I have had sad and sweet moments in my life, and overcoming each adversity only motivates me more to move forward."
Jonathan Chila, surfer
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