Portugal’s Winter Sports Federation has recognized Seixal Mayor Paulo Silva as its “Personality of the Year 2025,” highlighting a new Olympic-sized ice sports pavilion as a pivotal development in the nation’s ambitious push to expand its presence in global winter sports.
Silva received the honor at the federation’s annual gala for his crucial role in realizing the project, which stems from an agreement with the municipality. The new facility will be the nation’s first dedicated ice sports venue.
Covering 21,000 square meters of land provided by the local government, the pavilion will feature Olympic-sized rinks. It is designed to host international competitions for ice hockey, curling, figure skating, and speed skating.
Pedro Flávio, President of FDI-Portugal, lauded the project as “a decisive step for the future of ice sports in Portugal.” He emphasized its importance during the ceremony.
Flávio also highlighted significant athletic achievements in 2025. These included Jéssica Rodrigues winning a junior world title in ice speed skating and the national ice hockey team securing third place at the Development Cup in Andorra.
Looking ahead, Portugal has already secured three slots for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The federation president also noted an unprecedented opportunity for a snowboard athlete to qualify for the Winter Paralympics.
The federation also honored numerous national champions and Portuguese Cup winners in various disciplines. These included alpine skiing, snowboard, figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating, and curling.
The 2025 Athletes of the Year included João Nuno Vicente (alpine skiing), José Cabeça (cross-country skiing), Adele Vankerschaver (snowboard), and Martim Marçal (ice hockey). Other recipients were Vítor Santos (curling), Jéssica Rodrigues (ice speed skating), Cláudia and Marco Amaro Letestu (figure skating), and Raphael Ribeiro (bobsleigh).
In special recognition categories, Alípio Silva was named Coach of the Year, and the Ice Clube da Covilhã received the Club of the Year award. The Bobsleigh duo of Raphael Ribeiro and Abdel Larrinaga were recognized as Team of the Year.
Closing the gala, Flávio reaffirmed FDI-Portugal’s commitment to fostering “a stronger, more inclusive and competitive movement.” He stated that “the future of winter sports in Portugal is more alive than ever.”