Portugal ‘crown’ National Stadium rejig plans

Article posted by Coliseum, July 24^th, 2023

Image: Estádio Nacional, Koshelyev, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Portuguese Athletics Federation, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the Portuguese Rugby Federation, the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ), the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC), and the Municipality of Oeiras struck a deal recently to collaborate on the revitalization and rehabilitation of the National Stadium in Dafundo, Portugal.

‘FPF’ stated that the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, was present at the signing ceremony as well as the leaders of the above bodies who signed the agreement.

Linda-a-Velha, Oeiras (Portugal)-based the Portuguese Athletics Federation (FPA) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Portugal. It’s an independent sports governing body of public interest, nonprofit, ruled by their own code.

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Lisbon (Portugal)-based the Portuguese Football Federation GOIH ComB is the governing body of football in Portugal. The federation was formed in 1914 as the Portuguese Football Union by the three existing regional associations of Lisbon, Portalegre and Porto, before adopting its current name in 1926, and is based in the City of Oeiras.

The Portuguese Rugby Federation is the governing body for rugby union in Portugal. It was founded in 1926 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) in 1988.

Dublin (Ireland)-based the World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby organizes the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport’s most recognized and most profitable competition.

Lisbon (Portugal)-based the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ) is the national public body responsible for the implementation of an integrated and decentralized policy for the areas of sport and youth, in close collaboration with the public and private organizations, namely with sports organizations, youth associations, the students, and the local authorities.

The Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) is responsible for managing the cultural heritage in mainland Portugal. A large team covering virtually all technical and scientific areas is based in Lisbon (central services) and in museums and monuments located in Lisbon, Mafra, Alcobaça, Batalha, Tomar, Coimbra, and Porto (all in Portugal).

Oeiras is a town and municipality in the Western part of the Lisbon metropolitan area located within the Portuguese Riviera in continental Portugal.

The 37,593-capacity Estádio Nacional, also known as the National Stadium Sports Complex and as the Jamor Sports Complex, is a football stadium. It is located in the civil parish of Algés, Linda-a-Velha e Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo, in the Municipality of Oeiras, in the Southwestern part of Lisbon District (Portugal).

These days, however, the stadium is the hub of a much larger sports complex comprising swimming pools, rugby pitches and a popular running track.

‘FPF’ further stated that the above deal document calls for the transformation of the National Stadium, whose facilities are being used by the three signatory federations.

At the signing ceremony, which took place in Jamor, a decision was arrived that the above entities would pick up the tab for the rehabilitation of the National Stadium which is the ‘Crown’ of Portugal. The above entities would hold a design contest in which design firms can participate so that they can zero down on a design studio which will help in revamping the structure.

The final say on the design team which will help ‘dress up’ the venue will be that of the IPDJ and the DGPC.

Prime Minister Costa, in his speech, stressed on the importance of the above deal, “We are in a stadium that is not by chance called the National Stadium, the country has several stadia, but this is the only facility which is the pride of the people of Portugal in the real sense of the term and it is called the National Stadium because it is not a facility for a particular sports but all kinds of sports can be played in the arena. Over the years, a lot of capital has been injected into the stadium so that all kind of big-ticket sports events can be held at the venue but more needs to be done to make it one of the most avant-garde stadia not only in Portugal but in the world. While redecorating the stadium, we must give topmost priority to the community factor.”

Heaping praises on the FPF, the Mayor of Oeiras, Isaltino Morais, informed that the Municipality of Oeiras has always been keen in playing a pivotal part in repurposing the National Stadium and the FPF has the capability to bring about a 360 degree change to the facility.”

Jorge Vieria, President of the Portuguese Athletics Federation, touched on the background of the National Stadium where “showcase football, athletics and rugby competitions have been held”.

The Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, was also present at the signing ceremony, and averred that sports helps in the holistic growth of the people and is “an instrument for social inclusion, equal opportunities and for the honing of skills especially among the youths”.

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