RIO MAIOR SPORTS CENTRE | ACTIVITY MARCH 2026

RIO MAIOR SPORTS CENTRE | Activity Report – March 2026

1. Training Camps

During the month of March, the Rio Maior Sports Centre (RMSC) hosted a total of 506 athletes in training camps, across seven sports disciplines, from ten different countries.
Highlights of the month:

• Between March 8 and 14, Rio Maior welcomed 60 young football players from the David Campbell Soccer Academy (United Kingdom), who completed a seven-day intensive training camp, complemented by friendly matches against local teams.

• From March 13 to 20, an international swimming training camp took place, with the participation of 58 young swimmers from Canada, representing the clubs Collingwood Clippers, Hanover SC, and Owen Sound AC.

• Between March 6 and 8, the Rio Maior Sports Centre was chosen by the Estoril Praia triathletes for another intensive training weekend in preparation for national and international competitions.

• From March 29 to April 5, the National Sports Dance Teams held an intensive training camp at the Rio Maior Sports Centre, with daily sessions conducted in the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall.


2. Events

The month of March was marked by a high level of competitive activity and the organization of several sporting events.

• Throughout the month, the Rio Maior Municipal Stadium hosted five professional football matches.
On March 1, Casa Pia AC faced Moreirense FC in a Liga Portugal match.
On March 3, 17, and 24, the stadium hosted Liga Revelação matches, with SCU Torreense U-23 playing against Académico de Viseu FC and CD Santa Clara, as well as a match between UD Leiria and SC Farense.
On March 22, a Liga BPI match was also held between Sport Clube União Torreense and Sporting Clube de Portugal.

• On March 7, the Rio Maior Olympic Swimming Pool hosted the Rio Maior City Cup, organized by the Santarém District Swimming Association, with participation from the region's top clubs and swimmers. The event was supported by the Municipality of Rio Maior and Desmor.

• On March 14, the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall hosted a Show and Solo Dance Tournament in artistic roller skating, organized by the Rio Maior Swimming Club, with the support of the Ribatejo Skating Association, the Municipality of Rio Maior, and Desmor.

• Over the weekend of March 28 and 29, the Rio Maior Sports Centre hosted two Modern Pentathlon competitions.
On both days, the 3rd Mega Jovem Grand Prix took place, featuring around 70 athletes across various age groups. Participants competed in fencing, swimming, laser run, and obstacle disciplines across different facilities of the complex.
On March 29, the 1st Stage of the Ninja League Portugal 2026 was also held, marking the launch of this joint competitive project by the Portuguese Modern Pentathlon Federation and the Portuguese Obstacle Racing Federation.

3. Rio Maior Sports Centre hosts delegation from Guinea-Bissau under the Olympic Scholarships project

On March 12, the Rio Maior Sports Centre received representatives from the Guinea-Bissau Olympic Committee and the Guinea-Bissau Judo Federation, as part of the preparation and implementation of the Olympic Scholarships for Athletes – Los Angeles 2028 project, promoted by the International Olympic Committee through Olympic Solidarity, in partnership with the Portuguese Olympic Committee.

Present at the meeting were Eugénio Lopes, Secretary-General of the Guinea-Bissau Olympic Committee, and Wilson Idrissa Sá, President of the Guinea-Bissau Judo Federation. They were welcomed by Miguel Pacheco, Chairman of the Board of Desmor, along with Desmor Directors Cláudia Paulo, Carlos Canudo, and Hugo Dinis.

The main objective of this working visit was to present the facilities of the Rio Maior Sports Centre and align the technical, logistical, and institutional aspects related to the future integration of Guinean athletes into the Olympic preparation program.

The project foresees the presence of international athletes in Rio Maior, strengthening the Centre's position as a reference hub for athlete preparation in the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.


4. Desmor present at the Extremadura Sports Fair

On March 13 and 14, the Extremadura Sports Fair took place in Badajoz (Spain), bringing together more than 90 entities, companies, and exhibitors, and welcoming around 6,000 visitors, who had the opportunity to try over 30 sports activities. The Sports Foundation participated in the event with a stand representing the National Network of High Performance Centres – Highsportugal, with the main objective of promoting these infrastructures both nationally and internationally.

In this context, the Rio Maior High Performance Centre was highlighted, with the presence of Miguel Pacheco, Chairman of the Board of Desmor, who, during the event, developed institutional contacts aimed at establishing strategic partnerships for the organization of training camps at the Rio Maior Sports Centre.