First challenge of the season! FlaBasquete competes in the Integration Tournament in Paraíba
Pride of the Nation faces Minas and Unifacisa in the friendly championship in Campina Grande
By Helena Petry - inExpectations are high for FlaBasquete in action in the new season! With a revamped team and the Intercontinental Cup in February as its main objective, the Pride of the Nation will compete in the first championship of 2021/22: the Integration Tournament. The friendly competition will feature matches between Flamengo, Minas Gerais, and Unifacisa, starting on Tuesday (05), in Campina Grande (PB).
The Mais Querido's first opponent will be the Minas Gerais team, on Wednesday (06), at 19 pm. The following day, the Rubro-Negro will face the home team at the same time, with live coverage on Fla TV. It will be the first time that reinforcements Vitor Faverani, Brandon Robinson, Dar Tucker, Túlio da Silva and Fabián Sahdi will wear the Manto in a match, as will Argentine Esteban Caffaro. Matheus Leoni, repatriated after two seasons in Spain, makes his adult debut after participating in the LDB. Away from the club since 2018, center JP Batista will once again feel the taste of defending FlaBasquete. Captain Olivinha, the NBB Finals MVP, Yago, and the competition's Defender of the Year, Rafael Mineiro, in addition to young Rafael Rachel, remain in the squad led by Gustavo De Conti, recently announced as the new coach of the Brazilian National Team.
Two hundred people will be present at the Unifacisa Arena (20% capacity) to witness the debut of the team that won everything last season. In 2020/21, Flamengo won the State Championship, the Super 8 Cup, the NBB, and the Champions League of the Americas, making history with a streak of 34 consecutive wins and no losses in 2021. Now, the challenge is to repeat the feat and win the world championship for the second time. In February, the Pride of the Nation will compete in the Intercontinental Cup against San Pablo Burgos of Spain.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo rely on resources from their sponsors – BRB, MOSS, TIM, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and State Incentive Law/State Secretariat of Sports, Leisure and Youth (Seelje) of Rio de Janeiro, in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC).