SQM’s Nitrates Iodine Division renews commitment to Iquique Women’s Soccer Team
26/Mar/2024
At the Tierra de Campeones Ramón Estay Saavedra Stadium, SQM’s Nitrates Iodine Division signed a Club de Deportes Iquique (CDI) jersey to symbolically mark the renewal of its support for the women's team for the 2024 season. This contribution will enable the team to purchase GPS equipment to optimize player performance and physical therapy equipment for treatment and post-game care.
As part of this renewed partnership between SQM’s Nitrates Iodine Division and the women’s team, a modern Catapult GPS system will be installed. This state-of-the-art technology combines top-of-the-line GPS data, elite knowledge and analysis, and training plans to help the teams to better monitor training and physical performance during matches.
The team’s captain, Valentina Fuentes, was happy with the club’s management and SQM’s contribution: “It is very important for us. We are happy with the facilities set up in 2023. The gym has helped us a lot and we are looking forward to the new equipment that will arrive, which will be very useful to be fully prepared to face our competitors.”
The signing ceremony was led by CDI’s vice-president, Jorge Fistonic; the regional secretary for the Sports Ministry, Vania Llantén; the club’s captain, Valentina Fuentes; the women’s team; officials and directors of the institution; along with Carolina Guzmán, deputy communications manager for SQM’s Nitrates Iodine Division, who highlighted the importance of the event: “Since 2023 we have been supporting the women’s team at CDI and today we renew this important commitment to continue to level the playing field in soccer. The mining industry has historically been male-dominated, something that also happens in soccer, which is why this year we are very happy to continue working side by side with the team, known as the Dragonas Celestes, to make women’s soccer increasingly competitive.”
Jorge Fistonic, vice-president of Club Deportes Iquique, highlighted the mining company’s commitment, adding that “SQM and its Nitrates Iodine Division make up one of the most important companies in our region, so it is very gratifying for us to receive further support from them. This year our different branches have started off very well and we hope that this will continue throughout the season.”
Regarding the boom and support that the women’s competition has enjoyed at the regional and national level, the regional secretary for the Sport Ministry, Vania Llantén, was pleased with the local players’ development, pointing out that “this type of support from private companies improves competitiveness, allowing them to play today in Chile’s big leagues.”