Fishing League Worldwide announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to sanction bass fishing tournaments in Portugal in 2018.
Portugal is the seventh country to sign on to FLW's international sanctioning program, which sends anglers from each country to the International Division of the Costa FLW Series championship where they compete for a berth in the Forrest Wood Cup.
The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and José Neves, CEO and President of FLW Portugal.
“Bass fishing in Portugal is gaining more and more followers each year, and I strongly believe that the opportunities that FLW provides for international competitors make them the right partner for our anglers,” said Neves. “Largemouth bass are considered an invasive species in our country, so the more the fishing community can do for the sport of competitive angling the more bass will gain in popularity and in importance to tourism. We are excited to send our anglers to compete in Guntersville, Alabama at the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship.”
South Africa’s Michael Matthee was the highest finishing International pro at the 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship and will represent the FLW International Division at the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. Matthee's 9th-place finish was the best-ever finish for an International pro at the Costs FLW Series Championship.
“Since the launch of the International program three years ago we have showcased multiple anglers from around the world competing at the FLW Series Championship,” said Fennel. “We are happy to announce that Portugal will be joining us in 2018 and the talented Portuguese anglers will have world-class tournaments to demonstrate their skill. We look forward to welcoming them to the FLW family.”
