The strengthening of the technical structures of national sports federations gained new momentum this Tuesday with the signing of sports development contracts for the hiring national technical directors and sports managers.
The measure, integrated into Program Contract 893/2024, covers 23 federations and represents an investment of 3.55 million euros within the scope of the Sports Development Support Program 2024-2028, intended to professionalize the organization and improve the capacity to support athletes.
At the opening of the session, the president of the COP, Fernando Gomes, highlighted that the central objective is to reinforce the organizational capacity of the Portuguese sports system. “Help to professionalize federations. It’s about providing organizations with stable structures, qualified people and modern management processes”, he stated. According to the director, structural improvement will have a direct impact on sporting performance: “When a federation manages to plan, hire and manage with quality, the result is direct and measurable in more effective talent detection actions, better training programs, more consistent multidisciplinary monitoring and, above all, more qualified support for athletes”.
The measure provides for the financing the hiring of specialized human resources between 2026 and 2028 and fits into a broader qualification strategy of the sports system. Fernando Gomes also left a message addressed to the federations covered: “It is a sign of confidence in your leadership, in the work of your technical teams and in the seriousness with which you will manage and maximize these resources. We live in a time of collective action — with the Government, the COP, the federations, the clubs and all public and private partners united to promote the practice of sports and serve our athletes and coaches so that they can continue to do their best and shine throughout the world.”
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, who closed the event by reinforcing the importance of planning in obtaining competitive results. “Sports success is not the result of chance — it is the result of planning, method, scientific monitoring, rigorous management and competent technical leadership. When a federation has a solid technical structure and qualified management, it is better prepared to support athletes, coaches, capture opportunities and, naturally, achieve better results.” The official also highlighted the structural nature of the investment: “This measure is a clear recognition that sport is not just about medals or moments of consecration. Sport is done every day, it is done in training, management, planning, evaluation and close monitoring of athletes. It is made by those who bring the sport to life on a daily basis — coaches, managers, technicians, managers and many other professionals who, so often, away from the spotlight, support each achievement.”
The measure is aimed at federations with public sports utility status and aims to strengthen the capacity for planning, implementing and evaluating sports policies, while promoting the integration of qualified professionals in the sector.
Among the federations covered are Handball, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoeing, University Sports, Winter Sports, Competitive Climbing, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Swimming, Orienteering, Skating, Modern Pentathlon, Rugby, Squash, Table Tennis, Sailing and Chessleaving two eligible federations to sign at a later stage.
The focus, therefore, is on creating permanent capacity within the federations, considered an essential condition for the growth and sustainability of the Portuguese sports system.
Leave a Reply