TENNIS superstar Rafael Nadal and golfing great José María Olazábal are midway through their annual fun team tournament on the green – and this year, all proceeds will go to help the victims of the Mallorca floods.
Every year, Spain's top tennis player and golfer each lead a team of amateurs and professionals in a charity tournament, both representing a charity of their choice who will receive the winning team's prize money.
This time, winnings from the Olazábal&Nadal Invitational at Pula Golf Resort in Son Servera, Mallorca, will land closer to home: Rafa was born in Manacor, Mallorca and still lives on the island, and was deeply and personally affected when the devastating autumn floods destroyed an entire village and left 13 people dead, including two German tourists.
Footage of the tennis legend bailing out and sweeping up mud went viral, and he opened his eponymous sports centre overnight to provide temporary accommodation to evacuees.
Now, the main aim of the Olazábal&Nadal is to raise money for 'the people who lost so much on that tragic day', Rafa says.
“The most important things – the lives lost – can never be recovered. Disasters are like that, it's difficult to be able to talk about them, and in our case it struck very close to home,” Nadal reveals.
He explains: “The affected area was right next to where we've all lived. My mother's family is there, so it couldn't be closer to us. We'll try to help in every way we can.”
Rafa, who famously beat Olazábal at last year's charity friendly, says he is 'not golf-crazy, but crazy about sports in general', including 'football, tennis, basketball, golf and more'.
“Sports is something unique. What you see is exactly what you get,” he admits.
José María – known as 'Txema' to friends and family – Olazábal also spoke of the floods, saying the footage was 'very distressing' and that 'people are still trying to recover'.
“There's a long, hard road ahead, and families are frightened after what happened,” the Basque golfing star recalls.
“You experience it with amazement and a bit of disbelief. It strikes at your heart when you see catastrophes like this, so the least we can do is help, including holding the golf tournament here.”
Olazábal's winnings will go to his own charitable foundation, Sport Mundi, which is still an excellent cause – that of supporting underprivileged children, who are living in poverty or come from dysfunctional backgrounds.
The competition, says Olazábal, is a 'close-knit family-friendly' one which aims to 'help out those who carry out vital charitable projects with the funds raised'.
