The main criticisms from athletes are directed at the inability to book half a basketball court in many facilities, forcing small groups to pay the full price for an entire court. This situation, according to those affected, makes sports access more expensive and reduces user rotation in municipal spaces.
“"If you are a group of people who are not ten, you are five or six and you don't want to pay the 40 euros to take the whole court, you can't."
The option to book half-courts is crucial for modalities like 3x3 basketball, which has gained prominence as an Olympic discipline. However, the Government team argues that enabling this option could hinder access for those wishing to book the full court, claiming less efficient use of the facilities.
Another point of contention is pricing inconsistencies. Users like Hakim Tamimi Marino report that in some sports centers, almost the same amount is paid for a full court as for a part of it, discouraging more efficient use of space. Furthermore, there are price differences between centers in different districts without clear criteria, leading to user dissatisfaction.
The councilor for Más Madrid, Mar Barberán, brought the issue to the Ordinary Commission of Culture, Tourism and Sport, where she insisted on the need to unify criteria in the management of facilities. Barberán stressed that discretion in the operation of centers, both privately and directly managed, creates inequality and confusion, especially on the Madrid Deporte platform.
For her part, Sonia Cea, Sports delegate at the Madrid City Council, responded to the criticisms by assuring that there is a unification of rates based on a public price agreement. Cea attributed the differences to the "autonomy of the sports centers," allowing each to establish criteria for half-court use, even if the rates are the same for all.
