LISBON, August 2 (Xinhua) -- Portugal on Tuesday paid its final tribute to one of the country's most important athlete coaches, Mario Moniz Pereira, who passed away on Sunday.
Moniz, who was known as the "athletics man," passed away at the age of 95 due to pneumonia. He was buried at the cemetery of Alto de Sao Joao in Lisbon.
Bruno de Carvalho, Sporting Lisbon's current president, was greeted by dozens of fans at the entrance of the ceremony before the funeral procession.
"Moniz Pereira is an outstanding figure of sport, not only of Sporting but of Portugal. It is not possible to talk about sport without mentioning Moniz Pereira," he said.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral, including family members, music and culture figures, former athletes and friends.
Among most well-known figures was Carlos do Carmo, one of the country's most famous fado singers.
As well as being actively involved in sport, Moniz was also a fado composer, and wrote around 130 themes which were interpreted by famous artists like Carlos do Carmo, Camane and Fernando Tordo.
Moniz Pereira took part in the Olympics in London in 1948 as coach of Sporting. He was named Vice President of the Sporting Club of Portugal in 1995.
