Fabián del Valle

Fabián Vicente del Valle started his long association with sport as a young boy and was one of the early members of the athletics section of the Unión Deportiva Salamanca. Del Valle’s father was a captain in the Guardia Civil, and Fabián went to the Guardia Academy for two years before going to Salamanca University, from where he graduated in chemistry.

Although he continued with athletics, del Valle had taken a keen interest in both judo and boxing, and in 1932 started his boxing career with his friend Guillermo Ruíz who was to become the Spanish welterweight champion while del Valle became Spanish heavyweight champion on several occasions. Del Valle won 13 of his first 16 bouts by KO, and gained selection for the Spanish national boxing team and qualified for both the 1936 Olympics and the Popular Games (People’s Olympiad) in Barcelona, but the Civil War prevented him from taking part in either.

Del Valle fought in the Civil War, and in 1937 became a pilot and served as a general in the Air Force. After the war he graduated as a physical education teacher at the Toledo Gymnastics School and then went to Murcia to create the General Air Academy. Although he had quit his competitive boxing career, he started coaching and also wrote books on boxing techniques, and self-defence.

Del Valle eventually got to go to the Olympics as a boxing referee, and Spanish Flagbearer, at the 1948 London Games. Around the same time, he renewed his interest in judo, and was appointed president of the National Judo Federation. Being a black belt, he also became a judo teacher and played a big part in spreading the word of judo across Spain and in 1958 organised the European Championships in Barcelona. He had many other sporting interests in administrative capacities, and between 1968-71 was president of the Spanish Wrestling Federation. He was also involved with karate, taekwondo, and skiing and one of his great skiing partners was Juan Carlos, the future King of Spain. At the invitation of Juan Antonio Samaranch, del Valle served on the Spanish Olympic Committee.