The UFPI Badminton Complex will be officially opened on Saturday (9), in the presence of ministers

To stimulate exercise and enhance the production of knowledge in the field of physical education, the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI) opens the badminton sports complex on Saturday (9), at 10 am. With an investment of about R$6 million, and with funding from the federal government, the gym is one of the largest in Latin America. At the official handover ceremony to the community, University President Gildacio Guedes, Minister of the Civic House, Cerro Nogueira, and Minister of Citizenship Ronaldo Vieira Pinto, among other authorities will be present.

The gym includes 6 playgrounds, performance and physiotherapy laboratories, gymnasium, offices for doctors, nutritionists and psychologists, as well as an auditorium, secretary, meeting room and two bedrooms for 16 people. The building is fully air-conditioned.

The space also supports the development of research by students and teachers in the physical education course. In 2020 and 2021, more than 6 articles were published in journals of international excellence.

Young Talents Project – Since its launch in 2021, the Brazilian Badminton Confederation (CBBd) core project has made it possible for youth from the greater Teresina region to train at a high level in the sport. About 90 children and adolescents, aged between 11 and 17 years, have already trained in the sports complex. The project received funds from the Ministry of Citizenship, amounting to 390,000 Brazilian riyals.

According to UFPI Culture and Sports Coordinator Sergio Galan, with only one year left, the Young Talents project has participated in important national and international tournaments. “We managed to get a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. He emphasized an unprecedented fact, that countries like the United States and Canada usually achieve such a result.”

Also of note is the participation in the International Badminton Championships, promoted in the UFPI gymnasium, and tournaments in countries such as Mexico, the United Kingdom and the Dominican Republic. In total, the athletes received more than 30 medals.

For the physical preparation of new talents, the team consists of 3 coaches, a physical trainer, a physiotherapist, a data analyst and a sports director. The exercises use the latest technology, and include telemetry equipment, which allows heart rate monitoring, effort measurement and stress level.

This year, UFPI will run the program. The investment is expected to be about 470,000 Brazilian riyals, assessed by the Ministry of Citizenship.