Nemesi Ponsati Solà

Nemesi Ponsati Solà (26 June 1887 – 18 April 1980) was a Spanish pharmacist, pedagogue, and sports leader who served as the president of several sporting entities, such as the Catalan Swimming Federation (1922–23), the Club Natació Barcelona (1939–1943), and the Catalan Athletics Federation (1949–1953). He was one of the most important figures in the sporting world of Catalonia during the 20th century, first as an athlete, and later as an educator and leader.

Early life Nemesi Ponsati was born on 26 June 1887 in Barcelona,

Sporting career Educated at the Joan Bardina , Ponsati, inspired by the Noucentisme ideals of his youth, dedicated himself to promoting sports and education in Catalonia.

In 1916, the 29-year-old Ponsati joined the Club Natació Barcelona (CNB), where he not only practiced water polo and swimming, but also athletics, which he incorporated into the club by established its athletics section in 1922, which was one of the first in Barcelona, and its subsequent rivalry with the athletics section of FC Barcelona, which remained until the 1960s, played a pivotal role in the development of Catalan athletics. Also in 1922, he replaced Jaume Mestres as the new president of the Catalan Swimming Federation, a position that he held for just a year, until 1923, when he was replaced by Joaquim Rosich. When the Montjuïc stadium was being rebuilt for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, three were several requests for a change of name, with RCD Espanyol suggesting Juan Antonio Samaranch, while veteran athletes from Catalonia requested that of "Nemesio Ponsati", but in the end, it was named after Lluís Companys, the first minister of the Catalonia autonomous region during the Civil War.