Government of Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste hosted the opening ceremony of the 12th edition of the Sports Games of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) at Dili's Municipal Stadium, which will run from July 17^th to 27^th and bring together more than 500 delegates and young athletes from the six member countries of the Portuguese-speaking organization. 

As Acting Prime Minister, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs, Mariano Assanami Sabino, officially declared the Games open, emphasizing sports as a space for inclusion, friendship and cooperation among Portuguese-speaking communities.  "Dream, play fair, stick together. Together we build the future," he said, addressing the athletes present. 

The Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Nelyo Isaac Sarmento, emphasized the importance of the event for the country. ‘Today, Timor-Leste is writing a new page in its history by hosting, for the first time, this multi-sport event, which celebrates the best of Lusophone youth - talent, perseverance, the spirit of overcoming and the values that unite us as brotherly peoples. 

Right after the opening ceremony, the first official match of the tournament took place, with the football match between Timor-Leste and Portugal, which ended with the Portuguese team winning by one goal. The Games program includes competitions in football, athletics, adapted athletics, beach volleyball, 3x3 basketball, karate, taekwondo, tennis and chess, with athletes aged between 15 and 17 taking part. 

As part of the Games, the CPLP Conference on Ethics in Sports was held in Dili on July 21^st, dedicated to promoting essential values in youth sport and sharing good practices between member states. The initiative was attended by the Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture of Timor-Leste, Nelyo Isaac Sarmento, the Member of the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ), Lídia Praça, and Philip Barvestock, representative of the CPLP Executive Secretariat. ‘There is no sport without values and ethics,’ said Lídia Praça, emphasizing the Portuguese-speaking community's commitment to the principles of respect, integrity and inclusion. During the meeting, two significant milestones of the CPLP Ethics in Sports Plan were presented: the launch of the travelling exhibition ‘Move for Values” and the implementation of the White Card / Fair Play at the XII Games, as a symbol of recognition for exemplary attitudes in the field of sports. 

Also, in the context of the Games, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Nino Pereira, and the Secretary of State for Arts and Culture inaugurated the CPLP Cultural Fair at the Dili Convention Centre on July 20^th. Under the theme ‘Flavors, Sounds and Colors of the CPLP” in One Place,’ the fair presents traditional music and dances, handicrafts, typical gastronomy and artistic expressions from the member countries. Nino Pereira emphasized that the fair is an opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity of people LP and to value Timorese identity, highlighting the importance of cultural exchange in strengthening relations among Lusophone communities. The fair runs until July 26^th and is open to the public. 

On the same day, the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, officially inaugurated FITUN FEST - Festival Internacional Timor-Leste Único, at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace. Held in parallel with the CPLP Games, the festival runs until July 25^th under the theme ‘Return to the Origins’, with the aim of promoting Timorese cultural wealth and strengthening ties with the Lusophone community. END