The International Sport for All Federation -FISpT- has co-opted Filomena Fortes as a member of its Board. The Cape Verdean sports official has also been proposed as an individual member of the organisation, although her admission in this separate capacity must be formally confirmed at the next General Assembly in accordance with the federation’s statutes.
Fortes has been a member of the International Olympic Committee -IOC- since 2019, serves as President of the Cape Verdean Olympic Committee -COC- and holds positions across several African and international sports organisations. Her appointment brings FISpT experience in institutional management, education, high-performance sport, community programmes and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
From sport to education
Born in Luanda, Angola, Fortes played football and handball at club level before becoming a handball coach. She later pursued a career in education, working as a physical education teacher in secondary and higher education and coordinating physical education and sport courses at the University of Cape Verde.
Her academic background includes a degree in Physical Culture from the Manuel Fajardo Higher Institute in Cuba, postgraduate studies in Youth Education in Coimbra and a master’s degree in Sport Sciences from the University of Porto. She also completed the Executive Master in Sport Organisations Management -MEMOS- and earned a PhD in Education Sciences from NOVA University Lisbon.
From Cape Verdean sport to the Olympic Movement
Fortes has led the COC since 2014 and was the first woman to hold the position. She previously served as President of the Cape Verdean Handball Federation and was a founding member of the Cape Verdean Paralympic Committee. She was also Paralympic Attaché for the national delegation at London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as Head of Delegation for Cape Verde at the Rio Olympic Games.
At continental level, she is Second Vice-President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa -ANOCA- and President of the Association of Portuguese-Speaking Olympic Committees -ACOLOP-. Her career has also included responsibilities within ANOCA’s Women and Sport Commission and on the Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency -WADA-. In 2019, she became the first person from Cape Verde to be elected as an IOC member.
The connection with Olympism 365
Within the IOC, Fortes has served on the Sport and Active Society, Olympic Education, Sustainability and Legacy, and Future Host commissions, as well as the Los Angeles 2028 Coordination Commission. She is also a member of the Olympism 365 Commission, which advises on the IOC’s strategy to strengthen the contribution of safe and inclusive sport to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The appointment comes during a period of reorganisation and expansion for FISpT. The federation approved new statutes and elected a new Board in January 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen its governance and alignment with the principles of the Olympic Movement. It currently reports having 120 members and has opened applications for ten standing commissions. FISpT expects Fortes’ experience to support the development of partnerships with National Olympic Committees, international federations and civil society organisations, while helping to guide its programmes in inclusion, education and sustainable development through sport.
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