Over the last few years, it has been evident that the municipal executive has been committed to health and sports, as well as to creating spaces for physical and sporting activities.
The Centro de Actividades Náuticas - Bério Marques, located in the riverside area, next to the river Águeda, in the old facilities that housed the National Vine and Wine Board, was inaugurated on February 15th and presents itself as a space with conditions for the practice of federated nautical sports and municipal school sports, as well as the practice of informal sports for the community in general who want to learn or start the sport.
The investment of the requalification of one of the buildings of the former IVV was 141.300,00 euros and contemplates three floors, completely reformulated: on the first floor there is a service office and the collection of the boats, on the second floor there are the changing rooms and on the third floor an ample gymnasium space.
In order to value and ensure the best and broadest use of municipal equipment, as well as the reduction of maintenance costs of this infrastructure, the Municipality decided to establish strategic partnerships with local entities and that can collaborate in the management and promotion of this space, especially with the Gymnasium Clube de Águeda (GiCA), which has the federated mode of canoeing.
This new centre of nautical activities will allow the use of the river Águeda and the Braço do Rio by the recently created Sports Training Centre for school sports, the population in free regime and the canoeing section of GICA.
Who was Bério Marques?
Bério Marques was national canoeing champion in senior R1 (1980, 1981 and 1982) and 500 meters (K1, in 1984). He competed in several international races and was GICA's coach.
He lost a title of national champion in Vila do Conde on April 24th 1983, to save the life of an opponent, who was about to be drowned for injury. Bério Marques interrupted his race, with the goal in sight, helping him to get out of the water and thus losing the possibility of being national champion.
He was praised, for the fact, by the Águeda City Council (28 April 1983), who considered him "an example of sportsman, who honours the sport, the municipality of Águeda and the philosophy of its people". The Portuguese Canoeing Federation, at the time, considered him Sportsman of the Year, with praise.
Address: Rua 5 de Outubro
Owner: Águeda City Hall
Managing Entity: Águeda City Hall and Ginásio Clube de Águeda (GiCA)
More information
Águeda City Hall - Culture and Sports Division
Telephone: 234 610 070 (ext. 1236 and 1220)
Email: geral@cm-agueda.pt | associativismo@cm-agueda.pt
Website: www.cm-agueda.pt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cmagueda
Gym Club de Águeda
Phone: 234 623 399 / 961 797 340
Email: gica@gica.pt
Website: http://www.gica.pt