Brazil secured its Olympic basketball spot today (September 10.09th) thanks to a spectacular performance by two Flamengo players. Marcelinho Machado and Caio Torres represented Flamengo and secured their place in London 2012. The 36-year-old winger was the standout performer and top scorer in the match against the Dominican Republic, scoring 20 points in a game that ended 83-76.

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In 25 minutes of action, Marcelinho converted five three-pointers, grabbed two rebounds, and dished out four assists. The Flamengo basketball idol couldn't hide his excitement at the victory he'd been seeking for over 10 years, as Brazil hadn't participated in a basketball Olympics since Atlanta (1996).

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"It means a lot to get this spot. We were looking for it, we worked hard to get it, and it never came. But this year we trained hard, we gave up a lot of things to get to a moment like this. It's indescribable," said the Flamengo star, with tears in his eyes after the match.

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Recently signed from Flamengo, center Caio Torres also made a difference and was instrumental in Brazil's victory. With his defense already compromised by excessive fouls, Caio played cleanly, breaking through the strong Dominican defense and extending the lead to 66-57 in the third quarter. During his 12 minutes on the court, he scored five points, grabbed three rebounds, and added an assist.

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"Marcelo is a source of great pride for all of us. He is captain of Flamengo and the national team. Knowing that Flamengo continues to contribute to the Brazilian national teams is very gratifying. Flamengo invests in Olympic sports and, through Marcelinho, who was the soul of the game, and Caio Torres, achieved a feat Brazil hadn't achieved in a long time. They showed what Flamengo is all about. Once again, we are contributing to the history of Brazilian sports. Brazil returns to the Olympics thanks to Marcelinho's fundamental performance. We have invested in Flamengo basketball in recent years, and the results are there, with Marcelo writing his name in history. Brazil will host the 2016 Olympics, and Flamengo is doing its part by having representatives in different sports, such as swimming and gymnastics," stated president Patricia Amorim.

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If Argentina gets past Puerto Rico, Flamengo could have two more representatives at the London Olympics: power forward Federico Kammerichs and the assistant coach of the "hermana" team and coach of the red-black team, Gonzalo Garcia.