IPDJ advances Portugal’s coach education framework in martial arts and combat sports
The Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ) has advanced its national coach education framework by adding martial arts and combat sports. Qantara Sports supported the nationwide initiative.
Headquartered in Lisbon, IPDJ plays an important role in the development of Portugal’s sports landscape. The institution promotes widespread participation in sport through policy development, the provision of technical, human, and financial resources, and programme activation, working in collaboration with sports organisations, youth and student associations, and local authorities.
National Coach Education Programme
A key pillar of IPDJ’s work is the National Coach Education Programme (PNFT), a national framework for coach education and certification. It defines training standards, qualifications, and licensing requirements for sports coaches across different disciplines in Portugal.
Initially focused on sports disciplines governed by federations with Utilidade Pública Desportiva (UPD) status, the National Coach Education Programme has, over the past decade, progressively expanded its scope. It now also includes the training and certification of coaches operating outside this framework, subject to defined institutional and pedagogical criteria.
Enter: martial arts and combat sports
One area of expansion is martial arts and combat sports. “The PNFT reflects a long-term commitment to building a coherent and credible coach education system in Portugal,” said Ricardo Gonçalves, President of IPDJ. “The development of specific frameworks for martial arts and combat sports responds to the need to address a diverse and evolving sector.”
A key priority for PNFT is ensuring that martial arts and combat sports are integrated into PNFT in a way that aligns with its high standards for competency development, safety and quality.
To support this, IPDJ launched a programme to develop specific training references, regulatory frameworks, and supporting documentation. As part of this process, Qantara Sports was entrusted with the development of the technical framework, including training curricula and internship regulations for future Grade 1 coaches in martial arts and combat sports disciplines not integrated within UPD-recognised federations.
Commenting on its support for the national initiative, Bruno Avelar, Senior Executive Partner at Qantara Sports, said: “This collaboration reinforces Qantara Sports’ role in bridging policy design and practical implementation, supporting the development of coherent, scalable, and quality-assured coach education frameworks.”
