Universidade Católica celebrates the legacy of Manuel Sérgio

On 11 March, the Manuel Sérgio Chair - Sport, Ethics and Transcendence of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP-CITER), in partnership with the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ), paid tribute to Manuel Sérgio, highlighting the profound impact of his thought on the sporting and ethical universe. 

‘This posthumous tribute means continuity, it means giving life. Manuel Sérgio was a visionary. He was an outstanding figure in our academic panorama and the Chair he created, linking sport and spirituality, had the mission of creating cohesion, social impact, always bearing in mind the dignity of the person,’ said Isabel Capeloa Gil, President of UCP, at the opening of the session.

Lídia Praça, Member of the IPDJ Board of Directors, emphasised the importance of perpetuating Manuel Sérgio's legacy, highlighting his ‘holistic vision’ of sport in Portugal. 

The Programme Contract to support the Manuel Sérgio Chair was then renewed, reinforcing the ongoing commitment to promoting ethics in sport.

The session also included a screening of the documentary ‘Manuel Sérgio: Biography and Dictionary of Ethics and Sport’, curated by writer Gonçalo M. Tavares, and the presentation of the latest book in the Manuel Sérgio Chair - Sport, Ethics and Transcendence collection: ‘Sport, Freedom and Democracy’, published by UCP Editora.

The documentary and the new publication were the subject of a round table discussion, moderated by journalist Paulo Sérgio, with the participation of Alfredo Teixeira, coordinator of the Chair, José Carlos Lima, coordinator of the National Plan for Ethics in Sport and author Gonçalo M. Tavares. 

The session was closed by Pedro Dias, Secretary of State for Sport, who emphasised the way Manuel Sérgio thought about sport from the point of view of the person, in all its complexity and completeness.