Vila Real de Santo António has secured funding to modernise its High-Performance Sports Centre, a facility used by elite athletes from Portugal and abroad.
The agreement, signed on Thursday at the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) headquarters in Lisbon, marks a major step in the national sports investment plan running until 2028.
The VRSA sports complex – focused on athletics but also equipped for football, judo, swimming and triathlon – is one of the facilities benefitting from a €65 million national investment, of which €10 million will go towards upgrading high-performances training centres in Portugal. As part of the ‘Contrato-Programa de Desenvolvimento Desportivo 2024-2028’, the high-performance centres in Maia and Viana do Castelo are also due to be revamped.
“This investment reinforces Vila Real de Santo António’s central role on Portugal’s high-performance sports map,” said mayor Álvaro Araújo, adding that the requalification will “improve conditions for athletes, attract international training camps and competitions, and continue to generate significant economic impact for the municipality.”
As the local council celebrates in a statement to the press, the renovation will modernise facilities that attract hundreds of national and international athletes each year, strengthening the town’s reputation as a sports and tourism hub.
At the ceremony, COP president Fernando Gomes praised the project as a vital step in preparing Portuguese athletes for the 2028 Olympic Games, while secretary of state for sport Pedro Dias described the investment as “robust,” focused on improving training conditions and upgrading infrastructure.
The initiative forms part of a broader national plan involving partnerships between the COP, sports federations, Portugal’s Sports Foundation and local councils.
Since September, contracts have been signed for high-performance centres in Anadia, Caldas da Rainha, Golegã, Montemor-o-Velho and Rio Maior, now joined by Maia, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real de Santo António. The Pocinho centre will follow next.
The programme covers a wide network of high-performance sites, from Anadia to São Jacinto, including Peniche, Nazaré, Viana do Castelo, Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Nova de Foz Côa and Vila Real de Santo António.
