Flamengo begins its journey towards its sixth state basketball championship this Friday (24.09). With a team full of stars, such as Marcelinho, Bábby and Jefferson, the Rubro-negro debuts in the competition against Iguaçu, at 19:30 pm, at the Tijuca Tennis Club Gymnasium.

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For coach Paulo Chupeta, the State Championship will be excellent preparation for the team's other challenges this season, such as the South American League and the NBB.

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"Our goal is to win. We'll also use these games to prepare for the other competitions this year. Despite Vasco and Fluminense's absences and the other teams not having strengthened for the competition, I believe it will be good training for both the South American League and the NBB," said Paulo Chupeta.

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For the first match, Flamengo will be without American Kyle Lamonte, one of the season's key signings. The player suffered a slight sprain in his right ankle during training last Wednesday (22.09) and will be out for five days.

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The other red-black reinforcements - pivots Bábby and Átila, and point guard Guto - are confirmed for the match against Iguaçu.

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"We've put together a strong team to make up for last season's shortcomings," said Chupeta.

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Point guard Marcelinho will also be on the court. After participating in the World Cup in Turkey with the Brazilian national team, the player cut his vacation short and returned to training earlier this week for the State Championship.

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"Iguaçu is a team that deserves our respect, but we're going to go for the win. Our goal is to win the state championship for the sixth time, and to achieve that, we need victories," said Marcelinho.