Mexican Miguel Ramirez receives the National Sports Award

MEXICO CITY, Mexico, December 4, 2014 - After 35 years as National Referee and 23 as International Referee, Miguel Angel Ramirez received the National Award of Sports given by the Federal Government of Mexico.

Ramirez Rivera received the award after a long career that has included four Olympic Games as well as the second edition of the Youth Olympic Games, celebrated recently in Nanjing, China.

Those have been some of these achievements and now he wants to share all his experience to the new generations, the Mexican Olympic Committee informed.

“I am very excited for all of this, because it has a very important meaning in my life,” said Ramirez after receiving the award presented by the Secretary of Education of Mexico, Emilio Chuayffet, as well as the General Director of the Sports and Physical Culture Commission, Jesus Mena and the Mexican Olympic Committee President, Carlos Padilla Becerra.

“Volleyball has been a very important part of my life. I could achieve my goals and I appreciate all of this,” added the referee who began as a beach volleyball judge in 1994. He also worked as referee in both styles, indoor and beach, but the time when he had the chance to begin a successful Olympic career was in 1996.

He was nominated to go to the Olympic Games of Atlanta. Four years later, he went to his second Olympics in Sydney, and also attended to Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and in last August, he was in charge of the Women’s Finals at the Youth Olympic Games of Nanjing 2014.

“I am the only referee with two carnets (indoor and beach). One month ago in Argentina I had my last event as judge, and I am very happy because this achievement came to my life at the right time, and now we have to work with the new generations of referees,” he remarked.

Just a few days ago, He was at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, and previously at the FIVB Open in Parana, South America.

Ramirez has also worked as supervisor of the NORCECA Confederation for the last eight years.

“I want to thank Mr. Cristobal Marte, President of the Confederation for giving me his support to keep on working at the NORCECA level”, Ramírez stated.

“I’ve spent many years of sacrifice, without seeing my family, but in the end you can notice that all of this gets its worth, because you have the support of your beloved ones and you can get very important things like this award,” he mentioned.

According to the Mexican Olympic Committee, Ramirez also stated that one of his next purposes is to work closer with the National Federation, to prepare the next generation of referees to do a better job and improve constantly as part of the National Referees Commission.