Antonio Jesús Martín facts for kids
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| Nationality | Spanish | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 April 1982 (age 43) Málaga, Spain |
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Sport | 5-a-side football | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Antonio Jesús Martín Gaitán, born on April 22, 1982, is a talented Spanish 5-a-side footballer. He has a vision impairment, meaning he is completely blind, and is known as a B1 type sportsperson. Antonio has proudly represented Spain in the Paralympic Games multiple times, winning two bronze medals. He earned these medals in 2004 and 2012.
Contents
About Antonio Martín
Antonio Martín was born in Málaga, Spain, on April 22, 1982. He is completely blind, which means he is classified as a B1 type sportsperson. His friends and teammates often call him 'El Niño', which means 'The Kid' in Spanish.
In 2005, Antonio went to university to study business. Later, in 2013, he received a special award called the bronze Real Orden al Mérito Deportivo. This award recognizes his great achievements in sports.
Antonio's 5-a-side Football Career
Antonio Martín is a fantastic 5-a-side football player. This sport is played by athletes with vision impairments.
Playing for Club Teams
In 2005, Antonio played in a national championship where his team finished in first place. He helped his team win again in 2006. When he played for a team called ONCE Málaga in 2005, they were runners-up in their league.
Playing for the Spanish National Team
Antonio has had a very successful career playing for the Spanish national team.
Early Championships
- In 1999, his Spanish team won first place at the European Championships held in Portugal.
- In 2000, his team finished third at the World Championships in Spain.
- In 2002, they came in second at the World Championships in Brazil.
- In 2003, Spain won first place at the European Championships in Britain. Antonio was the top goal scorer in that competition!
Paralympic Games and More Medals
Antonio played 5-a-side football at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. His team won a bronze medal after beating Greece 2–0.
In 2005, his team won first place at the European Championships held in Spain. That same year, UEFA, which is the governing body for football in Europe, named Antonio the best player on the continent. At that time, he had played 46 games for Spain.
In 2006, his team finished fourth at the World Championships in Argentina. In 2007, they won first place at the European Championships. That year, they also finished third at the World Championships.
Antonio represented Spain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics. His team finished fourth, just missing out on a medal. In 2009, his team finished third at the European Championships.
He played for Spain at the 2010 World Championships and was the leading scorer in that tournament. In 2011, he competed in the European Championships in Turkey. His team played against Turkey, Russia, and Greece in the group stage.
Antonio also played 5-a-side football at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. In their first game against Great Britain, he scored the only goal in a 1–1 draw. His team won another bronze medal after beating Argentina 1–0. Antonio scored the winning goal in a shootout during that match. Important people like Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo and the President of the Spanish Paralympic Committee watched this exciting game.
Antonio continued to be a key player for the national team in 2013. He competed in the European Championships, where his team played against Russia, Greece, and France in the group stage. They won their first game against Russia and went on to defeat France, finishing first in the competition!
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Jesús Martín Gaitán para niños
