The Lisbon University Stadium, where FADU Portugal University Sports Federation is based, has been prepared to be used as a field hospital to receive patients from Santa Maria Hospital to help make more beds available in the hospital to treat patients with COVID-19.

The field hospital will be operational for three months, and has a capacity for 500 beds for treating Santa Maria patients without COVID-19, releasing beds in the hospital for coronavirus patients. Part of the FADU headquarters, with two rooms, a dining area, bathrooms and an entrance hall, serves for the exclusive use of medical team.

“This is the moment for the university sports community to be present in the national effort to combat COVID-19. So many times student-athletes had the support of health professionals, now it's our turn to give back. FADU will be side by side with all the Portuguese society in this difficult moment,” said the president of FADU Mr Andre Reis.

FADU has also used its social media channels to positively engage with students during these unprecedented times.



On Instagram, FADU launched the 'We play at home with...' campaign, where student-athletes are interviewed live about their journey at home, their path in sport and some more personal stories.

Filipa Martins (Artistic Gymnastics), Diogo Branquinho and Alfredo Quintana (Handball), Susana Feitor (Athletics and head of mission at the Universities of Taipei and Naples), Rui Bragança (Taekwondo), Patrícia Mamona, Francisco Belo and Mariana Machado (all Athletics) were some of the student-athletes interviewed.

In addition to the interviews, FADU also initiated an eSports competition, in order to mobilize its clubs around a competition where they can be represented from the comfort and security of their homes.

The virtual tournaments, of a friendly nature, take place under the campaign #weplayathome and are broadcast on FADU’s social media networks (Facebook, Twitch and YouTube). The first experience had the collaboration of regional bodies Porto Academic Federation (FAP) and the Sports Association of Lisbon Higher Education Sports Association (ADESL) and joined in competition student-athletes from the university football clubs across the country. The second event brings together student leaders representing FADU member associations and other national student organisations as well.

This is, according to FADU president Mr Andre Reis, a great way in which to engage students during this difficult period.

“This is just one of the ways found by FADU to appeal to strict compliance with the recommendations of the Directorate General of Health in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, combating social isolation and promoting well-being of Higher Education students. This will be an excellent opportunity for FADU to make its debut in the world of eSports which has many followers in the student community,” he said.

All these activities fall in the 30^th anniversary year of FADU, who had planned numerous celebration activities across Portugal before the Coronavirus outbreak.

Some celebratory events were held before the lockdown, but many have been postponed and rescheduled due to the current global pandemic, and will be announced in due course by FADU.

For more information about FADU and their activities, please visit www.fadu.pt.