Spain Joins FLW International Division
César Pecellín Muñoz of Spain signs exclusive licensing agreement to run FLW bass-fishing tournaments
FLW Spain is the latest addition to the FLW International Division, which will begin offering anglers the opportunity to compete in FLW-sanctioned bass fishing tournaments in Spain in 2018. The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and César Pecellín Muñoz, CEO and President of FLW Spain.
“The sport of bass fishing is very important in Spain, and the opportunity to compete with the world’s finest anglers that FLW provides our competitors makes this the perfect partnership,” says Pecellín. “The FLW sanctioning program is the best way for the international community to get involved with bass fishing, and we are very happy to be a part of it.”
FLW Spain plans to run a series of events to determine which four anglers will represent the country in the International Division at the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship. Two anglers will compete as pros, while the other two compete as co-anglers. FLW will provide the use of fully rigged Ranger boats for the Spanish team to use in the championship event, which will be held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville, in Guntersville, Ala.
The top pro award at the Costa FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-hp Evinrude outboard if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top co-angler award is a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-hp Evinrude outboard. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
“We’re proud to welcome Spain into the FLW family as the eighth country to join our rapidly growing international tournament program,” says Fennel. “FLW Spain will provide Spanish anglers the opportunity to showcase their bass-fishing talent on the world stage. We look forward to having two pros and two co-anglers from Spain in the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship and watching them compete alongside the best anglers from around the world on Lake Guntersville in November.”
Spain joins Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and South Korea as members of FLW’s International Division.