Portuguese sport wants to assume a central role in the country’s recovery and transformation process. The Portuguese Sports Confederation (CDP) presented to the Government a set of proposals to integrate the sector within the scope of the PTRR – Portugal Transformation, Recovery and Resilience, arguing that strengthening sports structures, federations and infrastructures must be considered a strategic priority.
The initiative comes in a particularly demanding context for the national sports system. The storms and extreme meteorological phenomena recorded between the end of January and mid-February caused damage to several municipal and associative sports infrastructures, compromising the regular practice of various sports and affecting the functioning of clubs and competitions in different regions of the country.
Given this scenario, the Confederation considers that the recovery of these structures must be seen as an integral part of the national response to the consequences of climate change and the future challenges facing the country. The organization presented six measures that it intends to see integrated into the PTRR, seeking to reinforce the sports system’s responsiveness and create conditions for its sustainable development.
The president of CDP, Daniel Monteiro, argues that the current moment requires a broader strategic vision on the role of sport in Brazilian society. “If the PTRR’s objective is to reinforce the country’s recovery capacity and resilience, then sport has to be part of this strategy”, he stated.
According to the director, sport represents much more than the competitive dimension or high performance. This is an activity with a direct impact on public health, the training of new generations and the cohesion of communities. “When we talk about resilience, transformation and preparation for future challenges, we cannot ignore the role of sport”he stressed.
One of the proposals presented by the Confederation involves the creation of an extraordinary program for the recovery and rehabilitation of sports infrastructures affected by the recent storms. The preliminary survey carried out by CDP in several municipalities revealed damage to equipment used by clubs, associations and schools, which could compromise the normal functioning of sporting activities in several regions.
For Daniel Monteiro, these interventions should be considered priorities. “We’re not just talking about physical infrastructure. We’re talking about spaces that are fundamental to the life of communities, where thousands of young people play sports and where clubs carry out their work daily.”
The Confederation argues that the recovery of this equipment must be carried out within a period of 12 to 24 months, ensuring that the affected populations quickly recover the necessary conditions for practicing sports.
Another of the measures presented involves structurally strengthening the intervention capacity of sports federations. CDP considers that these entities play a central role in organizing the modalities and supporting clubs and territorial associations, and it is therefore essential to guarantee them greater financial and institutional stability.
“The federated sports system, based on federations, territorial associations and clubs, constitutes one of the most relevant associative networks in the country”, said Daniel Monteiro. “Strengthening its institutional and financial capacity is crucial to developing modalities and supporting sports throughout the territory.”
The director also warns that the sports system has faced difficulties over the last few decades, in part due to the progressive loss of financial capacity of many federations and clubs. This reality limits investment in the development of modalities and in expanding the base of practitioners.
“The preparation of the sporting elite is important, but we cannot forget the fundamental stages of sporting development. Sport begins in local clubs, regional associations and schools. That is where the future of sports is built”, he stated.
Among the proposals presented by the Confederation is also the review of the distribution of revenue from online sports betting. CDP proposes that a part of these revenues be channeled to a Sports Development Fund, allowing the financing of federations to be reinforced by around 15 million euros per year.
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