“Dear friends of Eurojumelages,
as president of Eurojumelages it is important for me to get to know you personally at regional as well as national events. Each section has different wishes and requirements for our organization. Personal contact is very important to me so that we can do justice to the wishes and concerns of the individual sections in addition to our great common goal of European international understanding.

In this way, suggestions and requests for changes can be discussed together with my Board members and incorporated into the work of Eurojumelages.

So it was a great pleasure for me to participate as a guest at the National Games of CTT - Portalegre & Castelo Branco, Portugal from 8th to 11th June, 2023”.

 

National Games of CTT – Portalegre & Castelo Branco, Portugal 8th to 11th June, 2023

In June I had the pleasure to attend the National Games of CTT, Portugal, made possible by a kind invitation of CDCR dos CTT. Present with me at these games was John Saliba, our vice-president.
The National Games are held every two years and there are competitions in various disciplines, including, Footsal, Handball, Volleyball, Bowling, Running, Fishing, Tennis, Table-Tennis, Darts, Billiards, Chess, Draughts. There was also a tourism programme for persons who were not actively participating in the games. In all, there were about 800 persons, which included employees of CTT and also members of their families.

The games were held in the towns of Castelo Branco and Portalegre: facilities were provided by the municipalities of these two towns and the organizers also benefitted from sponsorships and advantageous prices for accommodation of the large number of persons present.

The opening ceremony was held in Portalegre on 8th June (a National holiday in Portugal): it was originally intended to hold the ceremony in one of the main squares of the town but due to heavy rain (much needed in this central and agricultural area of Portugal) this was transferred inside the Municipal Market which had ample space to hold the representatives of the 16 delegations that make up CDCR dos CTT.

Speeches were delivered by the Mayor of Portalegre and also the Vice President of CTT Prof. Dr. João Afonso Ramalho Sopas Pereira Bento.

The first sporting encounters started immediately afterwards. The CDCR National Games was excellent organized by Rui´s Team around Maria and Carmo Lopes and everything seemed to work like clockwork.

In the evening we had dinner in a large communal restaurant where we could meet practically everyone. After the meal, more time was spent in the adjacent bar to drink a coffee or something stronger: here too one could witness the motto of Eurojumelages – Bringing People Together. I had the opportunity to give information about Eurojumelages and there was a lot of interest among the employees of CTT in participating in our events. I sincerely hope that the Eurojumelages Flyer will be distributed to many of the members of CDCR as there is much scope for collaboration.

One could witness that the employees of CTT were very appreciative of the recognition and assistance that their company gives them and it is indeed a small miracle that at least in one European country, a private operator still gives a lot of material and financial support for sport and leisure activities of its employees. Credit must be given also to the Board of Administration of CDCR dos CTT who continually demonstrate to the management of CTT how this support and financial assistance is carefully administered and translates into a high level of commitment and job-satisfaction for the employees.

The closing ceremony of the games was held in a typical Quinta just outside Castelo Branco. The hall was large and could easily hold everyone. The Quinta de Herdade also had beautiful grounds. During the closing ceremony prizes were awarded and I had the opportunity to also present some of the trophies. I also delivered a speech which was translated into Portuguese by John so that the message could be understood by everyone. I stressed upon the need for a unified Europe and how Eurojumelages works towards this ideal, especially in the troubled times that we lived. I also expressed our satisfaction in having CDCR dos CTT in Eurojumelages and how they have become a valuable and active member. I also thanked the Mayor of Castelo Branco and the Director of CTT for their support and for their hospitality.

One final note: CDCR dos CTT have already stated that they will again invite participants from ALL members of Eurojumelages to take part in the next games, due to be held in 2025. Once the dates are known and the invitations issued, I would like everyone to make an effort to convince some people from within your organizations, especially young people, to take part and to practice their favourite activity among our Portuguese friends. I can assure you that it will be highly rewarding and entertaining.

To our friends in CDCR dos CTT, and especially to Rui and his team: Thank you!