Advances, setbacks, successes and the ambition to do more. The balance of a difficult SEASON, but with a sense of accomplishment.
The 2020/2021 season brought great expectations for a return to normality. However, this return was not as effective as we would have liked. If, on the one hand, the return to the main competitions allowed this exciting sport to be enjoyed, on the other, the limitations of the training levels and the ban on the public in pavilions ended up conditioning such an anticipated return.
This season will be remembered as one of the most difficult and critical for the Roller Hockey panorama. Despite this, the feeling of accomplishment grows stronger when we associate ourselves with the institutions that represent this sport so well.
AZEMAD collaborated with the organization of important events, which brought great dynamism and recalled the competitive spirit promoted by Rink Hockey. Collaborating with World Skate Europe, we contributed to the Men's Euro League (Mealhada, Portugal), Women's Euro League (Palau-solità i Plegamans, Spain) and the WS Europe Cup (Andorra).
The Euroleague marked the Sporting CP European Championship, team sponsored by AZEMAD, which achieved a historic feat never before achieved by a Portuguese team. With the presence and contribution of the #TeamAZEMAD player Ferran Font, Sporting CP's great season was crowned with the conquest of the Portuguese National Championship, thus culminating in a season of great sporting success.
Still on the Portuguese scene, the First Edition of the 1947 Cup was highlighted, a Portuguese competition that brought together the top 8 classified in the first round of the Portuguese Championship.
The Official Competition Stick presented by FPP was produced by AZEMAD, which became associated with the organization of this new tournament and which culminated in SL Benfica, a team also sponsored by AZEMAD, being the first big winner of the 1947 Cup, with the contribution of AZEMAD player, Carlos Nicolia.
AZEMAD was also present in A Coruña for the "Copa del Rey" and "Copa de La Reina". Despite not being an official sponsor of the competition, it supported the organization carried out by the host club, the Hockey Club Liceo sponsored by AZEMAD, where it provided a Mini-Rink outside the pavilion, to promote the sport. Hockey Club Liceo ended up being proclaimed as winner of the competition and lifting the trophy, for which we leave our congratulations on the great achievement!
Also in Spain, we would like to congratulate our sponsored athletes from #TeamAZEMAD, Hélder Nunes and João Rodrigues, for winning the Ok Liga and the athlete Anna Casaramona for winning the Copa de la Reina
To end this successful season, the Women's Rink Hockey also had a prominent place on the part of the AZEMAD teams. In the final of the Portuguese Championship and in the semi-final of the Portuguese Cup, Sporting CP and SL Benfica met to offer us exciting derbis. SL Benfica got the better of the decisive game of the Portuguese Championship, as well as in the conquest of the Cup of Portugal, with emphasis on the player of #TeamAZEMAD Marlene Sousa who lifted the two trophies, celebrating the tasty double achievement.
In a difficult time, the feeling will always be bittersweet. Despite the beginning of the return of a new normality, the main element that makes this sport even more passionate and exciting was missing: the public.
Crowned with great successes and with a sense of accomplishment, we hope that the next sporting season will be even better and we will do everything to continue to elevate this sport, with the passion that characterizes us. We are ready, see you next season!
