Avelino Meneses says that only "serious reasons" justify amendments to the legal framework on the support to sports associations
The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture stated in Horta that "only serious reasons" could justify "any proposal" to amend the regional legislative decree on the legal framework to support sports associations.
Speaking at the Legislative Assembly Tuesday, Avelino Meneses stated that the regional legislation, which dates back to 2009 and was amended in 2012 and 2014, ensures the "proper" regulation of sports practice in the archipelago.
"Therefore, only serious reasons may justify any proposal or any attempt to amend them," said the Regional Secretary.
"We are dealing with federated sports, which even require, for ethical reasons, equal treatment among competitors. In fact, this treatment is assessed by independent sports federations, which are affiliated with any political power," added the government official.
Avelino Meneses stressed that "if we defend the recognition of the specificities of the Azores in the national context, we must also acknowledge the specificities of each of our islands in the regional context."
Hence, Avelino Meneses stressed that “if the incentive to sport activities on Corvo depended on the recognition of the specificities of that island, we would have to submit it to a rigorous and serious scrutiny."
Regarding the amendment proposals to the parliamentary initiative presented by PPM, which was unanimously approved, the Regional Secretary considered that "we could not accept that clubs on Corvo or on any other island would be prevented from having a coach permanently during training activities and competitions."
"If we were to admit that, we would be disrespecting the legal framework on the coaching career that requires a valid professional title," said the government official.
With regard to the allocation of financial support for sports activities, the Regional Secretary for Education and Culture revealed that the Government is considering the possibility of an athlete from Corvo Island to enrol in two sports. In addition, clubs will be exempt from the obligation to have at least 80% of athletes trained in the Azores for a period of four years. This measure will be implemented in the next sports season.
According to Avelino Meneses, this standard safeguards "what is essential," since "prevents the invasion of our sports by outsiders who prevent the training of our athletes."