In a ceremony celebrating its 50th anniversary, cyclist Isaac del Toro Romero was among the elite athletes honored with the National Sports Award 2025, the country’s highest athletic distinction.
The Ensenada native athlete received the professional sports award from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo at the National Palace, standing alongside 15 other Mexican athletes, coaches, and officials recognized for their exceptional contributions to sport.
During the event in the Central Courtyard, President Sheinbaum praised the honorees as national inspirations.
“We admire you greatly. We admire your discipline. We admire your dedication. We admire the example you set for girls, boys, and young people. Thank you for the joy you bring to the people of Mexico and for honoring the name of our homeland,” she said.
Importance of Sports
Rommel Pacheco Marrufo, head of the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (Conade), underscored the awardees’ role as benchmarks of sport’s transformative power in society.
He explained the significant financial commitment behind the prizes, noting the national and state awards represent a total investment of nearly 20 million pesos, with individual winners receiving approximately 800,000 pesos.
Pacheco also highlighted a major boost in government support for high-performance athletics, announcing a 100-million-peso increase in direct athlete scholarships: a 36% rise that marks the most significant funding jump in 21 years. He added that support for competitions, training camps, training, lodging, and travel has also been strengthened.
2025 National Sports Award Winners
The 2025 National Sports Award celebrated excellence across multiple disciplines. The winners included:
- Professional Sport: Isaac Del Toro Romero (Cycling)
- Non-Professional Sport: Andrea Maya Becerra Arizaga (Archery); Alegna Aryday González Muñoz and Uziel Aarón Muñoz Galarza (Athletics); Osmar Olvera Ibarra (Diving).
- Paralympic Sport: Luis Carlos López Valenzuela and Osiris Aneth Machado Plata (Para-Athletics).
- Coaches: Alejandro Laberdesque Vázquez (Athletics) and Karen Selene Montellano Ruvalcaba (Archery).
- Judges/Referees: Araceli Ornelas Caballero (Taekwondo) and Leslie Selene Velázquez González (Para Powerlifting).
The ceremony also included awards for outstanding career achievements, presented to ultramarathon runner María Lorena Ramírez Nahueachi, diver Gabriela Belem Agúndez García, ice skater Donovan Daniel Carrillo Suazo, and para-swimmer José Arnulfo Castorena Vélez.
Mirna Beatriz De la Cruz Álvarez was recognized for her work in promoting sport, and an honorary recognition was given to diving coach Ma Jin for her impactful work and results with the national team throughout 2025.
