This Monday, the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports called for “common sense” in a dispute involving triple jumpers Pedro Pablo Pichardo and Nelson Evora, hoping the conflict “will not happen again.”
“As in all crises, common sense must prevail, hoping that this episode does not repeat itself. The issue of the nationalization of athletes has never caused controversy or doubt, this is not a problem, ”said Joao Paulo Correia. on the sidelines of the gala concert of the newspaper O Gaiense in Vila Nova de Gaia.
The Secretary of State considered that the incident, during which two athletes exchanged accusations about their sporting achievements and obtaining Portuguese citizenship, was nothing more than “a small conflict between two great champions of Portuguese sports.”
“We all celebrated the achievements of Pedro Pichardo and Nelson Evora. They are in the National Sports Gallery and deserve our admiration,” added Joao Paulo Correia.
The governor also gave a “positive assessment” to his first year in office.
“The areas we have prioritized are already showing results. The government has allocated the largest amount of funding to prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, increased support for high performance units in schools, moved forward with the new legal regime of anonymous sports societies, and promoted gender equality in sports,” he elaborated.
João Paulo Correia also singled out measures to “combat the manipulation of results” and “combat violence in sports”, believing that this is “a mission for all”.
“No legislation alone can fight and end violence in sports 100%. We really need the commitment of all the agents involved. This is the daily mission to which we are all called,” the Secretary of State said. .
The official assured that there are “strong measures aimed at preventing and combating violence, which have already been approved in Parliament”, hoping that the attendance and presence of people in stadiums is becoming increasingly safe.
“We cannot allow people and families to be afraid to go to stadiums and pavilions,” he added.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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