The 11th edition of the Down Syndrome Swimming World Championship – DSISO – will take place in the Municipal Swimming Pools of Albufeira, in 2022.
The attribution of this organization has already been made public and is the result of an application presented by the National Association of Sports for Intellectual Disabilities (ANDDI) in which the Portuguese Swimming Federation, Futebol Clube de Ferreiras and the Municipality of Albufeira were also involved.
The event, which has already taken place in Albufeira in 2008, will count on the participation of more than 300 swimmers representing 25 countries.
This modality has a representative in the municipality – Futebol Clube de Ferreiras (FCF) – a collective that in 2018 had a notable performance in the DSISO World Cup in Canada, with the club's athletes bringing home the title of World runner-up in the 50 meters breaststroke, the bronze medal in the 4×50 Styles and the 3rd place in relays, in the 4×50 Styles and 4×100 Styles categories.
José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, has already reacted to this news.
«It is an honor and a challenge for us to be able to host and collaborate in the organization of such an important event, for the second time – 2008 was the year in which the DSISO was held for the first time in Portugal, precisely in Albufeira – which confirms that the Municipal Swimming Pools continue to fulfill all the requirements imposed on championships of this nature and of these dimensions and that Albufeira is an inclusive city, which bets on a policy of integration of citizens with disabilities», he said.
José Carlos Rolo underlines that «this candidacy is the result of a concerted work between various entities and now is the time to continue this partnership, so that we can repeat or enhance the success of 2008».
The mayor also leaves a word for the «effort, work and persistence of these athletes and their families in overcoming all difficulties, both in their day-to-day and in terms of sports competition».
Futebol Clube de Ferreiras, which is part of the event's organization, took the first steps in adapted swimming in 2015 with the “Special 21” project, whose main objective is to take athletes with Down's Syndrome to the Paralympic Games, which it did with that all the attention of the Club turned to the activities of DSISO – DownSyndrome International Swimming Organization – organization created to promote competitions for athletes with this type of disability, offering opportunities to swimmers in world-class competitions.
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