The great forgotten pioneer of Catalan sport

ManresaHaving trained at Grupo Deportivo Badia Solé and Sant Francesc de Manresa, Nina Pont broke all the molds when she was just 18 years old. The Manresa native left for the United States in 1985, where she became the first Catalan athlete to play in the university league. "When they told me, I couldn't believe it," she says. Her two seasons at Old Dominion University opened a path that has now become a highway. Every year, more than 300 players from across Spain follow in her footsteps.

"I was the first to go. Obviously, that helped open doors, but now things have gone too far. It's often just a business. There are many agencies that go looking for very young girls and promise them a lot of things. I like to talk to them and explain everything that such an experience entails. They need to be clear about which university... I've been very obsessed with the idea of going to the United States, but now I recommend that players think very carefully before going. There's very good basketball here. Marxar has good things going for it and allows you to have an experience, learn a language, or study for a degree, but they can't go blindly," she explains.

"When I was 14, I was signed by Comansi, where Rosa Castillo, my idol, played. From a very young age, all my little dreams started coming true. The Catalan national team, the Spanish national team... Everything was happening for me very quickly. It's a very team-oriented style of basketball," she recalls. Once she returned from the United States, Pont played for teams like Lugo, Masnou, with whom she won the league title, Manresa, and Reus Ploms.

Pont currently presides over Manresa CBF. "In a short time, we've managed to create a club with a very clear identity. We're an exclusively female club. Many people still confuse us with Baxi Manresa because we share the Nou Congost arena, but we're a completely independent, exclusively female club. We have 24 teams," she boasts.

The first team competes in Liga Femenina 2, the third tier of Spanish women's basketball. "Organizing the promotion playoffs was a success because the Manresa fans responded in a way I never expected. The connection and camaraderie that developed were excellent. We got the first team promoted to Liga Nacional 2, which is a different league. What we need to do now is stay calm and do things right. We need to prepare for the Chambre and love the Chair, to love the Chair, to love the Chair of Challen, to love the Chair, to love the Chambre, and to love the Chair, to love the Chañar, so that Chan prepares Chan, to prepare the Chale, to love Chan, and to do things well. We need to keep moving forward, which is where we should be. If we can't do it because the institutions and sponsors don't support us, we'll have to take a step back."

"The task of being president is very complicated. When you start a project with such specific characteristics, where all the teams are women's basketball, it's very enriching. There are many joys, but at the same time, you also encounter many obstacles and disappointments. It's a constant struggle every day," she explains. Her background has been a great help. "My experience as a player and professional has been a good combination. Having been a player and having been courtside helps me understand the players, coaches, and managers very well. Since I've worked in communications and business, this has helped me a bit with getting the project off the ground. I'm lucky to have Som on board. One doesn't arrive, the other does," she affirms.

"Manresa, where it deserves to be"

"It's true there aren't many female presidents, but I take it very naturally. Gender doesn't matter to me. I like to talk about people. I try to support women's sports, and I think we still have a long way to go because we're often not valued as we should be. It will still be a long road, but I don't say that because I'm a female president. We're very clear that we want to put the city of Manresa back where it once was and where it deserves to be."