On the morning of October 8th, the Municipal Council (CM) of Ansião unanimously decided to grant financial support of €200,000 to the Atlético Clube (AC) Avelarense. The amount is intended for the replacement of the synthetic turf at the Campo de Jogos Manuel Antunes Pintassilgo, a decision made during the Ordinary Meeting of the CM of Ansião, held in the Noble Hall of the Council Offices.
The President of the CM of Ansião, Jorge Cancelinha, highlighted that this support represents the largest sum ever deliberated by the Municipality for an association in the council. "We are thus initiating this operation, which should be completed by the end of the year [...], allowing AC Avelarense to have a pitch with the necessary conditions for practicing sports," stated the mayor, emphasizing the importance of the intervention given the degraded state of the current surface.
This Sports Development Programme Agreement is based on the services provided by the club, founded on May 5th, 1936 in the Vila de Avelar, with a particular focus on work with youth categories. Currently, AC Avelarense has approximately 180 registered athletes. The municipal support aligns with the council's responsibilities in promoting physical and sports activity as a tool for health and quality of life.
The replacement of the turf is also urgent due to the use of the Campo de Jogos Manuel Antunes Pintassilgo in emergency contexts, such as the 2017 rural fires in the Central Region and recent rescue operations, including helicopter landings.
