Portuguese study identifies gaps in university sport facilities and staffing

FADU presented a national study of Portuguese university sport in Lisbon on 17 March. The assessment gathered 76 valid responses from affiliated clubs and institutional sport structures, representing around seventy percent of its club network and seventy-five percent of higher education students.

Approximately 61 percent of responding institutions lacked their own sports facilities, while 89 percent relied on external venues. Public funding received an average rating of 2.30 on a five-point scale, and 65.8 percent reported insufficient coaches or sports technicians.

The findings also identified limited support for combining academic and athletic careers. FADU called for dedicated infrastructure funding, stronger integration of sport into institutional plans and investment in specialist staff, using the study to inform advocacy and policy discussions.