The Portuguese Skydiving Federation inaugurated its new headquarters in Évora this Tuesday, at a ceremony that brought together federation officials, local authority representatives and sports-related entities. The official ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, and was attended by the president of the Portuguese Skydiving Federation, Eduardo Manuel Rodrigues, and the vice-president of the Évora City Council, Jerónimo José, among other entities.
Margarida Balseiro Lopes highlighted, in statements to journalists, the importance of the Federation's establishment in the city, considering that this type of project is of particular importance for the region. The government official underscored that the fact that Évora is European Capital of Culture next year further reinforces this importance, and considered the new headquarters a contribution to territorial cohesion, evidencing decentralization and the Government's commitment to supporting all sporting disciplines.
The president of the Portuguese Skydiving Federation, Eduardo Rodrigues, a confessed enthusiast of the sport since 1971, explained that, following his taking office, he identified the need to create better conditions for the development of the sport, acknowledging the lack of a dedicated space. After contacts established with the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, this culminated in the acquisition and rehabilitation of the building that now houses the headquarters. Eduardo Rodrigues argued that Évora is the capital of sport parachuting and that the city has already hosted world championships of the sport.
Despite the completion of this project, Eduardo Rodrigues underscored that the work is far from finished, pointing to the main challenges as the promotion and dissemination of the sport to the public and strengthening its presence in the national sporting landscape. The new headquarters represents a new starting point for the Federation, reinforcing the sport's connection to Évora and the Alentejo and creating conditions for the development of its activities from the region.
