‘Ayo’: Nerja pays tribute to much-loved local with sculpture

 The recently unveiled sculpture of Francisco Ortego Olalla, or ‘Ayo’, honours his background as an athlete and everything he has done for sports in Nerja.

The Nerja Town Hall has paid tribute to the sporting legend and businessman Francisco Ortega Olalla, also known as ‘Ayo’, with a sculpture, unveiled on June 24.

The sculpture is a tribute to Ayo’s sporting success and an expression of gratitude for all his efforts to promote athletics in Nerja since 1957. At the emotional event, the athlete was accompanied by the mayor of Nerja, Jose Alberto Armijo, the president of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation, Raul Chapado, the president of the Andalucian Federation, Enrique Lopez Cuenca, and more than two hundred people. 

Ayo thanked the people of Nerja, the Town Hall and the mayor for the honour, saying that athletics had given him important values that have guided him both in his personal life and in business and that young people should be encouraged to practise sports in order to be better people in the future.

The mayor, Jose Alberto Armijo, said: “With his committed, discreet and humble behaviour, Francisco Ortega, Ayo, has more than deserved recognition from his town.”

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