Basketball
The Portimonense men’s team have secured a historic promotion to the Betclic National Basketball Division by defeating ABC Santo André. After winning the away leg 71-70, they lost at home 73-86, meaning that a tie-breaker match was required. A tense game at thePavilhão Gimnodesportivo de Portimão saw the Algarve side win 85-79 in overtime and achieve promotion to the top division for the first time. Back in September 2021, head coachCarlos Almeida told Tomorrow that his biggest goal was to “promote basketball for our young people.” His hard work appears to have paid off as half of the squad have come through the academy.
Imortal basketball club of Albufeira suffered an agonising defeat in the final of the Portuguese Basketball Cup by 75-74. The match against Benfica was decided by a free throw from Tony Douglas with less than six seconds to go. The victory sees the Lisbon side win the trophy for the 23rd time.
Ice Hockey
The Portugal men’s ice hockey team has taken part in the Development Cup in Slovakia. Defeats against Colombia, Liechtenstein, Ireland and Argentina saw Portugal finish bottom of the five-team group. However, for a side that only played their first international in 2017, they can hold their heads high. As would be expected, the sport is still very much in its infancy, not least because the country does not yet have a full-sized ice rink!
Wrestling
Wrestling is back in the Algarve! APW REGRESSA has been organised by the Portuguese Wrestling Association and will take place at the Centro de Treinos in Portimão on 11 June.
Bodyboarding
Algarve athlete Joana Schenker has finished third in stage 1 of the Professional Bodyboard World Tour in Jacaraipe, Brazil. Schenker lost her semi-final in agonising fashion as Japanese surfer Namika Yamashita scored highly with the last two waves of the heat. Schenker will take solace in the fact that the result moves her to number three in the world.
Cricket
Portugal has won the European Cricket Network T20 Championship in Gibraltar. Facing Malta and Gibraltar three times over the three-day tournament, Portugal won all six of their matches to finish top of the table. Most Portuguese cricket is centred around the Lisbon region, though many sides do visit the Algarve on tour to benefit from the fine weather.
Para Cycling World Cup
Luís Costa has finished in an extremely credible fifth position in the men’s H5 class time trial at Ostend, Belgium. In wet conditions, he then backed it up with a sixth place at the men’s H5 road race. After the event, the Portimão resident noted that he was “happy with my performance” though acknowledged that there was “room for improvement.”
Rhythmic gymnastics
An outstanding team performance from Brazil saw them win their first-ever World Challenge Cup gold medal in Portimão. With a large vocal support, the roars of appreciation were evident from the moment they entered the arena. Their faultless, energetic routine was a joy to behold as they became deserved winners. On an individual level, German gymnast Darja Varfolomeev lived up to her star billing by winning four golds and a bronze.
Rugby
The Loulé men’s rugby team have pulled off an astonishing escape to stave off relegation and remain in National Division 1. After a tough first half to the season, the league was split into two, with the Algarve side battling against teams in the relegation group. With just two games to go, Loulé were bottom of the league and knew that only two victories would give them a chance of staying up. They duly obliged with a wonderful 27-3 win over league-leaders Setúbal, followed by a 45-15 victory over CDUP.
Football
Eighteen-year-old Manuel Mendonça from Loulé has signed a new contract with Sporting Lisbon. The central midfielder is the captain of the under-19 side and is also an under-18 international.Mendonça initially joined the club in 2017 after previously playing for Algarvian sides AD Geração de Génios and Louletano.
Farense are on course to win promotion back to the Primeira Liga. The Faro-based side are on a fine run of form, having won five matches in a row at a crucial time of the season. They require four points from their remaining two games to guarantee them a return to the top tier of Portuguese football. If they do so, they will play against fellow Algarve side Portimonense in what will be a fiercely-fought local derby.
Motorsport
Kalle Rovanperä has won the Vodafone Rally of Portugal with a dominant display, taking victory by almost one minute from Spaniard Dani Sordo. The defending world champion produced a masterclass in what is his second consecutive Portuguese triumph. The Finn won five of the 19 stages and never looked like relinquishing his lead. Armindo Araújo was the leading Portuguese driver in 17th, a little over 20 minutes down on Rovanperä. Algarvian driver Ricardo Teodósio, who won the Rally of Algarve in April, finished in 28th position.
If you wish to publicise a sporting event, please contact our sports editor David Lugg: david@tomorrowalgarve.com
