The new 25th of April Multipurpose Pavilion was officially inaugurated on Sunday in Almancil, in a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pedro Duarte.
Within the same facility, the library, an exhibition area, a children's and adults' area were also officially opened.
The pavilion is one of the largest investments made my the council in the municipality in recent years. School sports, gymnastics, dance, table tennis, handball, futsal, volleyball, basketball and paddle tennis are some of the sports that can be practiced in the new facility which, in addition to the main hall and the complementary hall, includes fitness studios, a weight training gym, a cardio room, a physiotherapy and treatment room, among other facilities.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the Mayor of Loulé told journalists that the new infrastructure "is a huge asset and a day of great celebration for Almancil, not only because the complex was inaugurated in the presence of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, but also because we are here two days after the Assembly of the Republic unanimously approved the elevation of Almancil to city status. Therefore, there is rarely a combination of events that make communities and the people who live in them so happy", he said.
Vítor Aleixo spoke of an investment of 16.4 million euros that solves a series of "needs" and "problems" in the community. "It was incomprehensible how Almancil, being one of the parishes that clearly contributes most to the municipal public treasury, did not have a modern, contemporary space, well-sized for practicing sports. Since we planned this space, the idea also came up of adding a resource center, where young people could read, connect with other resources to access knowledge, adding here a branch of the municipal library of Loulé, which we named after Casimiro de Brito, because he is a great name in the country's poetry".
Following the inauguration of the pavilion, an open week is planned in which the clubs of the parish and the municipality will hold sporting events and where the population will have the opportunity to get to know the facilities. According to the mayor, after this week of visits, the Municipality's Sports Department have planned the launch of the sporting events.
Joaquim Pinto, president of the Almancil parish council, said that the new multipurpose pavilion "should not only be used by clubs and individuals, but also to plant a 'seed' in schools, because I believe it is essential that sport begins in schools, where it should begin. Young people then move on to clubs and associations to continue their sports."
When asked about the town being granted city status, the president said he considered the unanimous vote recorded in the Assembly of the Republic to be important. Regarding the needs of the new city, he spoke of the housing problem as a "murky" issue, explaining that there are more than two hundred uninhabited houses in the parish area and others that are in danger of collapsing. "I think there should be a plan for this housing stock, because it would significantly minimize the shortage that exists in our parish". Joaquim Pinto stressed that since the beginning of the year, people of 52 nationalities have requested the services of the Parish Council, demonstrating the population dynamics that exist.
Pinto alos suggested that Almancil needs a secondary school with two essential areas, one technical and the other scientific, as a way of stopping the exodus of young people who, after finishing the 9th grade, go to study in Quarteira, Loulé or Faro. "These young people no longer return to their hometown, successive generations are lost because there is no secondary school here, and I consider this to be one of the first priorities", he said. A finance delegation, a fire department section and a new building for the Parish Council are other needs that he highlighted for the future of the parish.
