The Portuguese Winter Sports Federation (FDIP) has projects ready for the construction of a synthetic ski and snowboard slope and an Athlete Preparation and Recovery Center in Penhas da Saúde.
According to the president of the FDIP, Pedro Farromba, the global investment, of some three million euros, depends on the support of the community and, “going well”, according to the available information, he foresees that the calls will open at the beginning of the month. next year, when the application will be submitted immediately.
The announcement was made by Pedro Farromba on Saturday night, at the FDIP’s annual Gala, during which the leader, at the end of his third term, gave a farewell speech, in which he stressed that the federation went from three to 11 modalities. of snow and ice and expressed the desire to see the birth in Serra da Estrela of “a mini-resort for winter sports”, including the ice rink that has been in operation since last year.
“Currently we have all the necessary approvals that we needed, from the Municipality of Covilhã, to the agreement with Movijovem to extend the concession contract for the Pousada da Juventude and also for Infrastructure in Portugal, which was what was missing, for the link project with the road to the synthetic ski slope”, explained the manager. “Right now, from our side, we have everything ready,” he added.
The construction of the artificial ski slope, more oriented towards learning, which includes a support building and a treadmill, is budgeted at around 380 thousand euros, although the expansion of the Youth Hostel, managed by the FDIP, where the Center for the Preparation and Recovery of Athletes, represents a global investment of around three million euros.
To pay for the component itself, Pedro Farromba stressed that the “necessary banking operation” is available, if the community financing lines work in accordance with the rules of the previous community framework, and have funds from international federations, but the leader stressed that, without these cohesive supports, it will not be possible to implement the idea.
The Penhas da Saúde Athlete Preparation and Recovery Center, in the municipality of Covilhã, will have medical care available to athletes, a gym, cryotherapy, physiotherapy and other support structures not only for snow and ice, but for other athletes who today are already looking for Serra da Estrela and others who can do so, explained Pedro Farromba, at the end of the Gala held in the middle of the ice rink, transformed in summer into a space for holding events.
Pedro Farromba said that he had expressions of interest from foreign investors to move forward with the construction, in Portugal, of Portugal’s first pavilion with Olympic dimensions for ice sports, which will also be a multipurpose space for other initiatives.
According to Pedro Farromba, the structure, “fundamental for the development of modalities” in the country and for hosting international events, will be “in the Lisbon area”, in a place still under evaluation and also to be implemented in partnership with the FDIP and other international federation companies, in an investment that will not be less than “eight million euros”.
“We are closing negotiations that I sincerely hope will conclude next month,” Farromba stressed. “We have to define the location, and then we can do the specific project,” explained the federative leader.
Pedro Farromba also highlighted the more than ten thousand paying people who passed through the Penhas da Saúde Ice Rink between December and April, in addition to figure skating, speed, ice hockey and curling athletes. Ice Arena, he said, reopens in late October.
“It really was a winning bet, stimulating and creating a way of seeing the mountain and getting closer to our modalities,” he said.
Leaving the position he held for the last 12 years until the end of the year, Pedro Farromba highlighted growth at various levels.
“Today we are a house of many sports, with a lot of will and a lot of desire. Today we have a consolidated, respected federation that generates confidence in wanting to work with us”, he said.
Appointed as successor at the head of the FDIP, the vice-president, Pedro Flávio, affirmed that it was necessary to guarantee a “consistent, future-oriented” project, which would make it possible to respond “to the responsibility that a machine that has grown a lot represents.”
“I am not a candidate yet, but we are working to create the best possible team, to be able to continue with this project,” revealed Pedro Flávio, speaking to the Lusa agency.
A possibility greeted by Pedro Farromba.
“Pedro Flávio is passionate about sports, he has been working with me for 12 years and, if it is Pedro Flávio, I am sure I will sleep well”, said the FDIP president.
Source: Observadora
