Portuguese esports-focused non-profit organisation Grow uP has announced a partnership with football club Casa Pia A.C.
The two parties will work on various projects related to esports and gaming, including fielding a competitive roster under the club’s name, education initiatives, and more.
Grow Up is a prominent Portuguese non-profit organisation focusing on esports. The organisation organises several esports tournaments and events, including the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival, which grew to become a global gaming brand. Grow Up also has its own esports arena space in Sintra, Portugal, which serves as a performance and training centre.
On the other hand, Casa Pia is a professional multi-sport club from Lisboa, Portugal, most known for its football division. The team joined the top-flight division Primerira Liga for the first time in more than 80 years this year.
The partnership with Grow Up will be focused on the EA SPORTS FC game series, with the club entering the eLiga, the official EA FC competition of the Portuguese football league. The club also aims to participate in other esports competitions and events promoted by the Portuguese Professional Football Federation.
Casa Pia and Grow Up will work with the club on ‘social projects’ at the Education and Development Centers of the Casa Pia de Liusboa Institute. The club and the organisation will also work together to use video games as a tool for integration, inclusion and diversity.
Tiago Gouveia, Marketing and Sponsorships Manager at Casa Pia A.C., commented: “This is a significant milestone for us; this partnership means much more than an Esports team. It aligns with what we aspire to achieve for the project, that is, being closer to young people, and providing them with conditions to feel integrated and happy with video games.
“We also want to replicate what Grow uP has already done by creating an academy for young athletes who see Esports as a form of inclusion.”
Telmo Silva, the Founder and CEO at Grow uP eSports, was inducted into the ESI Hall of Fame in 2022 as a Youth Champion.
