Flamengo will have a representative at the South American Championship in Venezuela. João Simões, a player for the Flamengo U-14 team, was called up after a week of training with the Brazilian National Team and will be part of the delegation. Speaking exclusively to the official website, the player spoke about the feeling of being called up and wearing his country's jersey in the tournament.
"The feeling is one of happiness and recognition, because we work hard every day to improve. The national team is just the culmination of all this, so I have to thank my teammates and my coach, Igor Melleti, who advises me to become a better player," celebrated João.
The athlete also commented on his participation in the South American Championship. "Expectations are always high when it comes to an international competition, even more so when you're playing for your country's national team. However, we're training hard every day to be prepared for any situation that may arise. When we heard the news of the 12 players selected for the competition, my first feeling was relief, as all 24 were training hard to secure one of those spots. Everyone selected by coach Thelma was perfectly capable of filling in for anyone who was called up," added the number 15.
The athlete also commented on his participation in the South American Championship. "Expectations are always high when it comes to an international competition, even more so when you're playing for your country's national team. However, we're training hard every day to be prepared for any situation that may arise. When we heard the news of the 12 players selected for the competition, my first feeling was relief, as all 24 were training hard to secure one of those spots. Everyone selected by coach Thelma was perfectly capable of filling in for anyone who was called up," added the number 15.
Igor Meletti, coach of the U-14 team, spoke about João's importance on the court and his call-up. "We knew we had a chance to have players on the national team. Initially, João wasn't on the list, but his performance in the Brazilian U-14 Championship earned him the chance to fight for a spot. On Friday, I received the news that he was among the 12 selected and will travel to Venezuela to compete in the South American Championship. As a player, he is an athlete with great physical strength, who always gives his all on the court, and is very determined. João has a lot of grit and knows how to do everything technically correctly; he is improving significantly," said Igor.
"We all work with one main goal at the youth level: to develop athletes so that, in a few years, they can be on the main team. Every coach likes to see their athlete at the top of their game, which is the Brazilian National Team. It was very important not only for me, but also for the group, which is strong. We've been undefeated for two years in Rio de Janeiro and qualified for the State semifinals," explained the coach.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – Estácio, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, and EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and the State Incentive Law/Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Sports, Recreation, and Youth (Seelje), in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources generated by the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.