Almost 200 children between 10 and 12 years old, from public schools in the Lisbon region, participated last Tuesday, in the 2nd Hospital da Luz Interschool Tournament, which took place at the Restelo Stadium, in Lisbon. It was a full day of football, lots of excitement and competitive spirit, which brought the young athletes together with several 'stars', such as Pedro Ribeiro, the D.A.M.A (Miguel Cristovinho, Miguel Coimbra), Jorge Corrula, Bernardo Sousa, Jónatas da Banda Lua and some of the most famous Portuguese tiktokers. This 2nd edition of the children's football tournament, organized by Hospital da Luz in partnership with ADVITA (Association for the Development of New Initiatives for Life, IPSS) and the EPIS Association - Entrepreneurs for Social Inclusion, had the institutional support of the Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa). Luís António Verney School team was the big winner and will receive the main prize awarded by Hospital da Luz in this event: a new playground for school sports. All participating schools receive prizes worth one thousand euros each in sports material and equipment. The students from Luis António Verney faced the team from Escola Passos Manuel in the final of the Tournament and won the match 2-0. Despite it being an intense day for all the kids, the final was played with maximum energy, with all spectators focused on the game and applauding the best plays. There was never a lack of fair play between athletes, coaches, referees, and spectators and, despite a few shouts, football was played at the highest level, with Luis António Verney's team fulfilling the promise made early in the morning, upon arrival at the Stadium: “We’re the ones who are going to win this!” Passos Manuel's team, which came in 2nd place, naturally regretted the defeat in the final, but did not fail to celebrate with the same joy the moment of handing over the medals and the corresponding cup. Teachers and students confessed, at the end of the Tournament, that they had had an excellent day. «It was a joy for them and for us too. Tomorrow, they will be school heroes, with their new football equipment and all the autographs. Even if they didn't win", commented one of the Physical Education teachers present. As for the kids, in addition to maintaining their competitive spirit and joy until the end, they all said they loved it. «We liked everything. Especially the pizzas! But also, about games!”, they said. Star Game Before the final of the 2nd Hospital da Luz Interschool Tournament was played, the winning team of the 1st Tournament, Escola Moinhos da Arroja, participated in the 'Game of Stars', which had the support of Domino’ s and was attended by Pedro Ribeiro (director of Rádio Comercial), two elements of D.A.M.A. (Miguel Cristovinho, Miguel Coimbra), actor Jorge Corrula, Bernardo Sousa, Jónatas, from the band Lua, and tiktokers Mário Skepis and Martim Marques. The invited adults and children from Arroja mixed into two mixed teams and the Star Game culminated in a 2-0 victory for… one of them. Isabel Vaz, CEO of Luz Saúde and main promoter of this initiative, presented the cup to 1st place, highlighting the role of sport in the education and training of young people , “This is a social responsibility initiative by Luz Saúde, focused on the role of sport promoting healthy lives among young people. We believe that it is important to promote sport in schools, as a platform for creating winning generations, equipped with healthy habits and good mental health", he says, adding: "It was great to see these children, today, competing with this energy and will to win. And with lots of fair play! Then, we must recognize the contribution of these children's Physical Education teachers, whom we cannot fail to thank for the extraordinary work they do in schools promoting sport and health. They are also true champions.” For his part, Luís Pica, General Director of Domino’s Portugal states that, “ We are very happy to be part of this initiative organized by Hospital da Luz , to whom we thank you in advance for the invitation and congratulate you on the success of the event. Our objective has been, over all these years, to be increasingly closer to consumers and to what is important for society, and it is extremely gratifying to have the opportunity to partner with projects like this”. Finally, Luis Nuno Ramos, the director of the Education department at CML, highlights that “the Chamber's support for this initiative allows us to contribute to the development of young students in our schools. Providing schools with such motivating experiences that promote educational and social values through sport and physical exercise is an objective that CML has been pursuing.” For the Municipal Department of Education, which along with the Department of Physical Activity and Sports, collaborated on this initiative, “it was a pleasure to see the students at the games, but also at socializing and reinforcing the team spirit by 'wearing the jersey' to win the long-awaited 1st place”. Congratulations to the winners and all participants.
