Luanda – Angolan president João Lourenço on Friday spoke of the need to bolster and improve the dissemination of sport activities in neighborhoods and communities of the country.
According to the Head of State, it is necessary to create spaces and sports courts, with the contribution of civil society organizations and the businesspeople, as part of the social responsibility.
The president made statement, while addressing the ceremony to honor the Angolan world champions Rui Andrade (sports car), Eliane Eaio and Osleny Thomas (ju-jitsu), as well as runners-up Enelton Bombo, Ricardo Chimenes, Rui Baltazar, Eric Rodrigo and Helder Kededy Manuel.
João Lourenço added that it is imperative to rethink and reorganize school and university sport through the holding of municipal, provincial and national competitions to turn them into a breeding ground for federated sport.
The president underlined that it is of paramount importance to pay more attention to federated sport and to make it self-sustainable.
President João Lourenço secured the continued construction of sports infrastructures, such as stadiums and multipurpose pavilions for different sports.
The president added that with the victory of Rui Andrade at the FIA World Endurance Championship as world champion, emerges the need for motorbike racing tracks of international standards to be built in the country so that young Angolans stop watching races only on television and raise interest in this sport.
According to João Lourenço, it is not enough to build sports infrastructures without finding the right model for their management, maintenance and profitability or risk having them deteriorated due to misuse.
"Angola and Angolans are very proud to have champions and good children, because your achievements are a valuable contribution to the struggle carried out by Angolan society for the education of young people, in the formation of personality, for the defense of the values of ethics, civility and patriotism” the president said.
The 21-year old Osleny Thomas, two-time Paralympic Ju-jitsu world champion in the 2022/2023 seasons, said she is honored by the tribute, having condemned the discriminatory prejudice against people with physical disabilities and urging the government to pay more attention to training of young people to allow them to better contribute to national development.
Eliane Caio, 16 years old, also a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu champion in 2022 and 2023, appealed to young people to persist and never give up in the face of challenges.
Ricardo Ximenes, Ju-jitsu world runner-up for the third time in a row, called for the need for sports to be widespread among children and young people.
The 18-year-old Eric Rodrigo, a Ju-jitsu fighter in the blue-77kg category and African and world champion, urged young people to always believe in their dreams.
Rui Andrade on his turn, considered it important to be the first African to win a world endurance championship in the LMP2 category , representing Angola in a dignified manner.JFS/SC/AMP
