Sport Gala & Fitness: 4th Edition

Vitor Marques, president of the municipality of Caldas Da Rainha, opened the ceremony by handing over the first prizes of the evening, dedicated to honoring the athletes with an international career. Among the winners of this category are António Morgado and João Almeida, members of the UAE cycling team. On the side of the Portuguese Badminton Federation, Beatriz Monteiro, Diogo Daniel and Elisabete Horban were also rewarded. From the Kempo association of the Caldas da Rainha (AKCR), Diogo Tomás, João Tomás, Maria Máximo and Duarte Marques received a distinction, the latter being practicing a suitable version of this discipline. Finally, Frederico Silva, of the Caldas Da Rainha tennis club, was also honored for his international career.

For the election of winners in more than 20 categories, an online vote was launched, in which 3,990 people participated, representing 30% of the final result. The remaining 70% was determined by an evaluation committee composed of Carla Chicau, Joel Ribeiro, José Branco, Marco Alves, Vera Rebelo and Vitor Marques.

In the school sport category, Raul Proença secondary school won the first prize, having obtained first place at the National School Sports Cup. The coaches of the year were Maria Batista, of the AKCR, and Carlos Matos, of the ACDR Arneirense. The leaders of the year were Anabela Patacho, also from ACDR Arneirense, and Marco Alves, of the Portugal Olympic Committee.

This year, the Portuguese Badminton Federation was honored with the banner of ethics and, consequently, received the prize for ethics in sport during the gala. In the exercise and physical activity category, the gymnastics club of the humanitarian association of volunteer firefighters from Caldas da Rainha won the trophy.

The winners of the referees/judge of the year categories include Daniela Barreira, Futsal referee, and João Fragoso, badminton referee. The coach of the year in adapted sport was Telma Santos, of the Portuguese Badminton Federation, while the coach of the year in adapted sport, Fernando Silva, comes from the national selection of Para-Badminton.

Patrícia Mendes, Pimpões, and Vítor Ilharco, of the Balance of the Caldas Da Rainha gymnasium, were rewarded respectively in the categories of female and male physical exercise technique. The private organization of the year was Base Aventura.

The U16 female teams of the Caldas Da Rainha Tennis club and senior male from the MVD – Badminton sports movement, won the prizes of the teams of the year. The athlete Revelation of the year is Caetana Neves, from ACDR Arneirense, while Santiago Parreira of the recreational and sporting company The Pimpões was crowned as a revelation athlete. Caldas Sport Clube was designated as the sports association of the year.

Finally, the Caldas Da Rainha municipality has also awarded honors in the exercise sector to the Caldas Da Rainha volunteer humanitarian association for its gymnastics club and its aquatic activities. Regarding sports figures, António Morgado has been distinguished, as well as the legendary masseur of Caldas Sport Clube, Adelino Santos.

During the Gala 2023, Vitor Marques expressed its objective of making Caldas Da Rainha the European City of Sport by 2028. The mayor revealed that there had been a significant increase in investment in sport, going from 7 million to around 9 million, considering this essential to obtain this title. In addition to financial investments, the municipality has developed a wide range of programs and regulations to support sport.

The illustrious Olympic athlete Rosa Mota also made a note of presence during the gala, putting prices and receiving a warm ovation from the public, which had more than 100 people.

Catarina Carvalho and José Ramalho were the presenters, while the evening was embellished with Hip Hop Pimpões performances, the Caldas Dance Dance Association, Madalena Castro with Diogo Ferreira, and the Super Flash group of ACDR Arneirense.