Portugal welcomes tennis world championship for veterans in 2019

The president of the Portuguese Tennis Federation (FPT) today announced the holding of the veterans world championship at the International Foot-Ball Club (CIF) in Lisbon and the National Stadium in Oeiras on 04 and 17 August 2019.

“We won the competition for the organization of the veterans world championship. We were awarded one of the most prestigious events and more participants, among other applications, which will be in Portugal for the first time. of Lisbon, European capital of Sports 2021, and it is also a great pleasure for us to receive the proof, “said Vasco Costa.

The FPT leader highlighted the opportunity to receive “something unprecedented” in Portugal, during a press conference at the Lisbon City Council (CML).

In addition to the veteran world championship, which is played in three categories (each with several age groups) by more than 600 athletes, the manager also revealed that Portugal will receive again next year at the Vilamoura Tennis Academy, “a ‘ pool ‘of the world championship of wheelchair tennis “, and is candidate to receive the final phase of the same competition in 2020.

In 2019, in addition to the veteran World Cup, Vasco Costa also recalled “the hard work of the FPT in the last years of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), not only to maintain close relations, but also to organize several international sporting events”, and which has allowed Portugal to host the next General Assembly of the body, to be held in Lisbon, including the election of the next president of the ITF for a four-year term, as well as the election of the board of directors.

“Our candidacy was presented more than a year ago and was very close since it competed with 14 other countries. It would have to be organized in Europe or Africa and I would say it was a hard work. 44 ITF tournaments, 22 men’s and 22 women’s tournaments, as well as the wheelchair world championship, which has been very positive criticism from the ITF, “said Vasco Costa, defending” a set of initiatives and events that gave some confidence to the ITF for AG to be in Portugal “.

A set of initiatives that came as a surprise to Filipe Pais, chief of staff of the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports.

“This is a very clear example of what it is to interpret the Public Sports Utility well, and the legitimacy and national credibility are somehow recognized. We are in the process of having a partnership so that FPT, together with the State, can manage the High Yield Center in Jamor, “revealed Filipe Pais.

Duarte Cordeiro, Vice-President of CML, stressed that the organization of these events is only possible “for the international recognition of the FPT, at a good time for the modality, in which several athletes have shown value, and for Lisbon, European Capital of Sport in 2021 “.