Benfica and Club Hajime sign a protocol

Fernando Tavares, vice-president of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Luís Bettencourt, founder and manager of Clube Hajime and Telma Monteiro, Club's judoka, gathered this Thursday, in the Press Conference room of the pavilions to communicate the newest partnership of the Benfica's other sports: the Sport Lisboa e Benfica signed a protocol with the Clube Hajime.

The idea of the partnership is to incentive young judokas to go on in the sport, at Benfica, when the finish the elementary school.

 “This agreement intends to assume that the Clube Hajime, which is one of the best clubs of Portuguese people, from now on, will be a Benfica's training club. The Clube Hajime has about 600/700 kids from preschool and elementary school and Benfica comes to  continue the work which Hajime is doing”, explained the vice-president Fernando Tavares to the Press.

In what concerns to the advantages that this partnership can bring, Fernando Tavares is clear.

“Benfica, with this protocol, is going to create here the obligation to stimulate the growing of Club Hajime as a training club, as a strategic allied of Benfica. What matters for Benfica is the Clube Hajime to grow a lot and become the biggest judo training club in Portugal”, he added.

For Telma Monteiro, “godmother” of this partnership, it is very important for Benfica to work with these kind of clubs.

"This is a partnership that has everything to be successful, because judo is not only known for being a sport which develops the motor skills, but also to train people. Therefore, I think we couldn't have find a better allied than the School Hajime", declared the Benfica's athlete.

The founder and manager of Clube Hajime, Luís Bettencourt, also declares that is partnership is a tremendous advantage both for Benfica and Clube Hajime.

“The Clube Hajime establishes this partnership with a huge Club, which is Benfica and, at the end of the day, this is a symbiosis where we both grow and every year kids will go to Benfica's youth training. This improves Hajime and the number of Benfica's athletes".

Text: Márcia Dores

Pics: Isabel Cutileiro / SL Benfica