The Spanish anthem with lyrics by José María Pemán, which the poet from Cadiz wrote on behalf of Miguel Primo de Rivera and which was used during the Franco regime, was played this Monday in Yerevan (Armenia) in honor of the boxer Martín Molina, at the ceremony in which gave him the gold medal as the new flyweight European champion (48-51 kg).
The notes of the old anthem with the words of Pemán – "Long live Spain! Raise your arms, children of the Spanish people, which is resurgent..." – accompanied Molina in the most important moment of his career, the achievement of the continental title , the fourth European gold that amateur Spanish boxing has achieved in its entire history. The boxer from Terrassa listened to the anthem with his hand on his heart and his eyes full of tears.
It is not the first time that the Royal March with Pemán's lyrics has sounded at a medal ceremony with the Spanish champion. The badminton player Carolina Marín in one of his world titles, the one in 2015, or Alberto Contador when he won the 2011 Giro, among others, had to listen to the wrong anthem.
