Sport has "a cross-cutting impact" in the Azores in its "many diverse forms and manifestations, providing a unique and structuring contribution to the modernisation of our society" said the Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture (SRECC) today in Angra do Heroísmo.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony of the 12th Azorean Sports Gala, Luiz Fagundes Duarte highlighted "the link" between sport and education, which he considered to be a "key" factor and a "structuring axis" in the policies pursued in this area.

In this context, sport will have to be "increasingly regarded as an important part of education that is necessary for the proper development of the human being and for an active and full citizenship." Furthermore, sport should "always maintain the link to its origins and its role in unifying people and wills around a common goal, based on values and principles of coexistence, tolerance and group collaboration, thus reinforcing the importance of its social role."

On the other hand, the Regional Secretary reminded that "when we talk about sports performance, we are talking about integration, dedication, rigour and competence. We are also talking about the pursuit of excellence that should guide all of us in the path we want to follow towards our sports development policy."

Fagundes Duarte highlighted that the Azores registered in 2012 the highest participation rate of athletes belonging to sports associations - 9.7%. This figure is the result of the fact that the Region registered the participation of the largest number of athletes belonging to sports associations - 23,400.

"In the past year, the training levels, which we still consider as one of the key pillars of our sports development policy, reached the largest number ever recorded, corresponding to 77% of the total number of athletes belonging to sports associations and to a potential participation rate of Azorean youngsters aged between 8 and 18 of 43%," said the Regional Secretary.

For all these reasons, the Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture explained that the Regional Government has consecutively promoted the Azorean Sports Gala, which will be held for the first time across the archipelago with the aim of "brining the population and, in particular, the athletes' supporters closer to clubs, sports and sports agents."

The 12th Azorean Sports Gala will travel to seven of the nine islands of the archipelago starting in September. This event will pay tribute and distinguish over a hundred sports agents, school sport entities and sports associations that distinguished themselves in 2012 for the results and scores achieved as well as for their the contribution they have provided to the development of regional sport.