The Mayor of Viana do Castelo announced, on Friday, at the opening of the IV Sport of the county, that the Municipality will advance, this year, with the candidacy for the European City of Sport 2022.
“We are going to start preparing the application this year. It will be very difficult, but I am sure that with your support it will be possible ”, said José Maria Costa, before the more than 600 people who were present in that initiative.
The IV Viana do Castelo Sports Gala once again paid tribute to the athletes who, in the 2018/2019 sports season, won 240 national, European and world titles. Awards were given to 144 awarded athletes, who won a total of 193 national federated titles.
The event was again attended by the Minister of Education, who welcomed the announcement of the candidacy of the capital of Alto Minho.
“I, as Minister of the Republic, have to say that I regret not being able to announce here my public support for Viana do Castelo’s candidacy, everyone will understand why. But when I heard the candidacy announcement my heart beat faster. I wish Viana do Castelo very good luck, ”said Tiago Brandão Rodrigues.
The governor highlighted the fact that Viana do Castelo will host, between 06 and 08 June, the National Youth Championships for school sports, with the participation of more than two thousand athletes, from ten sports.
“The people of Viana who love Viana are sports lovers and can give this municipality a special color to welcome young people from all over the country. It is a challenge that I make to the locals who know how to receive so well so that they receive in a special way this weekend ”, he challenged.
Already the councilor of the sport, Vítor Lemos, affirmed that the county has 4,500 federated athletes, without counting the more than 10 thousand non-federated athletes. The athletes are distributed by more than 70 groups that regularly promote 35 sports, under the guidance of five hundred coaches and half a thousand managers and employees. In total, 140 sports spaces are used by athletes in the municipality.
In 2019, 86 athletes achieved 195 national champion titles, 15 athletes were university champions and nine became national school sports champions. On the list, there are also two national military champions and 12 athletes who have won ten world and European podiums. An independent jury again awarded eight distinctions and the municipality presented the Prize Homenagem and Special Prize of the Chamber of Viana do Castelo.
Thus, as Male Athlete of the Year, he was named Antoine Quintal Launay, who represented the Darque Kayak Clube in canoeing in 2019. An international athlete, he stood out for having secured the Olympic qualification in the Slalom World Championship with the 4th place in the World Championship semifinal at the La Seu d’Urgell track. He is National Champion of Slalom K1 Senior, National Champion of Slalom C1 Senior and National Champion of Slalom K1 Absolute Patrols.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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As Athlete of the Year – Female, the jury elected Cláudia Ferreira, in the Athletics – Javelin Throw modality, to represent Sporting Clube de Portugal in 2019. The athlete was Champion of Europe by 1st League Nations and obtained 1st place in the ranking national team of under 23 and seniors (best Portuguese brand of 2019).
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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As Coach of the Year, Maria Eugénia Queirós was elected, in Fencing, to represent the Sports School of Viana. She has been an EDV coach since 1994 and has coached the National Foil Team at various stages, world cups, world and European championships, juniors and seniors.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Revelation Athlete of the Year – Male is Gonçalo Neto, in the Roller Hockey modality, at the service of the Valongo Sports Association. He represented the Under-20 National Team, won the 3rd place in the European Championship in the under-20 teams in 2018 and was under-20 national champion.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Revelation Athlete of the Year – Female is Ester Sotomaior Marques, in handball mode, by ABC / UMinho. Represented the National Team of under 17 and was national champion of the 2nd senior women’s division.
As Director of the Year João Zamith, from Surf Club de Viana, was elected, in the modalities surf, bodyboard, longboard, stand up paddle and surf adapted. He has been president of the board since 2013, in a club that has 632 members and 119 federated athletes. In 2019, he was organizer of the 1st European Adapted Surf Championship.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Team of the Year distinguished by the jury is the senior male team of the Associação Juventude de Viana, which ranked 8th in the 1st Division National Championship, allowing them to qualify to compete in another edition of the WS Europe Cup ( European competitions).
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Sports Association / Club of the Year was elected the Athletics Center of Mazarefes, founded in 1987, which has 77 federated athletes. It is the oldest community in the county for athletics, with athletes competing in all age groups at the district, national and international levels.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Tribute Award was given to Analídia Torre, in athletics. He was runner-up in European cross country and gold medal for teams in 2000 in Malmoe (Sweden) for the national team. He was an international athlete nine times, six of which in cross country, two on the track and one on the road.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Special Prize awarded by the Viana do Castelo Chamber was given to Alberto Pimenta Gonçalves. Born in Viana do Castelo, he has 61 years of life and more than four decades supporting associations in the municipality. About 40 years ago he went “almost by accident” to the direction of Deucriste Sport Clube, a club where he did a little bit of everything, between secretariat, treasury and management. About 24 years ago he was invited to join the Sports Association of Barroselas, assuming functions in the secretariat. He is the club’s treasurer, but throughout all these years he was a driver, a wardrobe, helped to paint the fields, collaborating in all tasks.
Photo: Disclosure / CM Viana do Castelo
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The Viana do Castelo Sports Gala is an annual event organized by the municipality that aims to distinguish and reward the sports entities and agents that during the sports season were most notable for the results achieved or for the services provided in the various sports, fruit of the prestige they gave to society and sport.
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