The former president of the Portuguese Judo Federation (FPJ) Jorge Fernandes said this Wednesday that he will not run for president, at a time when the mode should be “serene”, after the open conflict in August 2022.
On the day when the deadline for submitting names for president in the April 29 elections expires, Jorge Fernandes said this withdrawal will serve to “calm down some people”, but he did not rule out the possibility of returning after the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. .
“Sometimes taking a step back means taking two steps forward. The six years I’ve been with the federation say enough, but from June to August it was stressful and it hasn’t been good for judo either”justified the former president.
Jorge Fernandes, who is running again on April 7 for the presidency of the Judo Clube de Coimbra, a club where he will also train again, was fired in December following an investigation opened by the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ ).
Jorge Fernandes left office by decision of the General Assembly of the FPJ, due to incompatibilities under Article 51 of the legal regime of sports federations, caused by the adoption of his son and training at the Coimbra club.
In a lawsuit initiated by the Castelo Branco Association, which filed the complaint with the IPDJ, the former president had previously been targeted by seven judokas, including Telma Monteiro, who accused him of oppression, among other things.
Later, the IPDJ opened a new investigation into Jorge Fernandes, focusing on the squad’s appeals, which was later expanded, after hearing a parliamentary committee, where Secretary of State João Paulo Correia admitted that a scenario of abuse of trust and takeover by the deposed president.
“We are a little over a year away from the Games, things need to settle down, allow the athletes, the charter mentors, to focus on what we have been working on all these years and what we want: good Olympic representation and even better.” results than in Tokyo2020 [uma medalha de bronze, um quinto e quatro nonos lugares]”he added.
Jorge Fernandes also said that he communicated his decision 15 days ago to the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Correia, and to the President of the IPDJ, Vítor Pataco, stating that he was not a candidate for the FPJ.
On Tuesday, one day before the deadline, which ends today at 5 p.m., Vice President Sérgio Pina, who has the support of Jorge Fernandes, formalized his candidacy for the presidency of the judo federation.
“I think it is the right candidacy to take the boat to a successful port, in a year full of challenges”said the former president.
Source: DN
