Representatives of the Portuguese Sports Foundation travel to Brazil to be part of the meetings considered on the project of internationalization of the Portuguese High Performance Sports Centres.

Following the project for the internationalization of the Portuguese Network of High Performance Sports Centres – HIGHSPORTUGAL, Market Access, a company selected by public tender, carried out the activity 3.3 of this project, entitled “International Promotion Actions with the organization of meetings and exploratory talks in the targeted markets, advised by expert consultants to promote the national offer of HPSC”.

The execution of this activity includes actions to promote the Portuguese HPSC in the 10 targeted markets – Germany, Angola, Australia, Brazil, China, the United Arab Emirates, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and Sweden.

Following the exploratory contacts held by Market Access with the Brazilian market, Paulo Marcolino, Executive Director of the Portuguese Sports Foundation was in Rio de Janeiro and in São Paulo from May 14 to 18, 2018, accompanied by Rui Sousa, CEO of Market Access Portugal and Afonso Antunes, Director of the Brazil Business Unit of Market Access and Promotion Manager of AICEP in Brazil, in order to meet with local sports entities and experts.

On May 14, 2018, the day was dedicated to several meetings. In particular, meetings with the Brazilian Navy in the presence of the President of the Navy Sports Commission and Commander of the Physical Education Center, Almirante Pedro Luiz Gueiros Taulois. Also on the same day, meetings took place with:

  • ïBrazilian Confederation of Water Sports, in the presence of its Executive Director, Ana Paula Alves;
  • ïBrazilian Surfing Confederation, with the President, Adalvo Argolo.

The next day, May 15, 2018, the meetings continued with the Brazilian Rowing Confederation, in the presence of Marcello Varrialle, its Technical Coordinator. There were also meetings with the Brazilian Judo Confederation, where its President, Sílvio Acácio Borges and the Brazilian Fencing Confederation was present, with the President, Ricardo Machado and the Vice President, Arno Schneider.

Also following the high level meetings in Brazil, the following meetings were held:

  • May 16, 2018, with the Brazilian Confederation of Horse Riding, in the presence of its Sports Manager, Valdir de Araújo;
  • May 17, 2018, Secretary of Sport of the City of São Paulo, with the Secretary of Sports of the City of São Paulo, Jorge Damião de Almeida; Esporte Clube Pinheiros, with Arnaldo Luiz de Queiroz Pereira, Director of Olympic Sports and Training, Claudio Castilho, Olympic Sports and Training Manager and Mário Gasparini, Director of Marketing and Communication;
  • May 18, 2018, with the Vice President of the Club Athletico Paulistano, Sylvio Francisco Antunes Filho.

As a result of these contacts with the aforementioned entities, it was pointed out their interest in knowing Portuguese High Performance Sports Centres, as well as in establishing future partnerships. Thus, the presence of the Executive Director of the Portuguese Sports Foundation in this mission constituted an added value for the institution, both in the context of this Project activity and for the promotion of new strategic agreements.