Return to Gávea is celebrated by the group
Flamengo basketball players approved training sessions held at the club's headquarters
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
From players to coaches, journalists to fans, everyone agrees that the HSBC Arena is currently the best and most modern gymnasium in the country. The stars of Flamengo's basketball team, of course, are no exception. However, the Flamengo fans couldn't hide their joy at returning to training at the Hélio Maurício Gymnasium this week, ahead of their series against São José in the Novo Basquete Brasil playoffs. Away from their Gávea headquarters since September, when the team prepared for a tournament in Angola, the current two-time Brazilian champions are back close to their fans for two pre-scheduled events at the Flamengo home stadium.
One of the most excited about this temporary change, as Flamengo returns to Barra starting next week, was Paulo Chupeta. A club employee since 1997, when he still worked in the youth teams, the Flamengo coach would like to see the same facilities offered at the HSBC Arena in Gávea.
"Here, we feel at home and feel the energy of the fans and Flamengo members up close. At the Arena, we feel a bit isolated, almost abandoned because it's so far away. But from a technical perspective, especially because of the floating floor, it's much better to train there. Ideally, Flamengo would offer the same facilities as there so we could always train here. There, we'd only train for games," explained Chupeta.
Center Wagner also expressed his satisfaction at working at the Hélio Maurício Gymnasium. Besides the warmth of the red-and-black fans, the daily contact with the youth teams is crucial for the club's overall basketball development.
"I love training here. The atmosphere is great, and the connection with the fans is crucial for our team. This interaction with the youth and youth teams is also crucial. When I was a youth player at Vasco, I learned a lot watching Sandro and Vargas work together. That makes all the difference when you're starting your career," said the center for the red-and-black team.
Even with more than ten years with the Brazilian National Team and stints in Spain, Italy and Lithuania, countries that offer a first-world structure, captain Marcelinho reveals that the most important thing about training at Gávea is the identification between the players and Flamengo, which is often forgotten by the fans due to the fact that the team works daily away from the club.
"Of course, we feel privileged to have the opportunity to train at the best gym in the country. But the contact with Flamengo fans and members is very important for our identification with the club. The relationship there can be very cold due to the distance and isolation we've become accustomed to working in. Ideally, we would have the same conditions here at Flamengo, especially regarding the floor and locker rooms," said Marcelinho.
One of the most excited about this temporary change, as Flamengo returns to Barra starting next week, was Paulo Chupeta. A club employee since 1997, when he still worked in the youth teams, the Flamengo coach would like to see the same facilities offered at the HSBC Arena in Gávea.
"Here, we feel at home and feel the energy of the fans and Flamengo members up close. At the Arena, we feel a bit isolated, almost abandoned because it's so far away. But from a technical perspective, especially because of the floating floor, it's much better to train there. Ideally, Flamengo would offer the same facilities as there so we could always train here. There, we'd only train for games," explained Chupeta.
Center Wagner also expressed his satisfaction at working at the Hélio Maurício Gymnasium. Besides the warmth of the red-and-black fans, the daily contact with the youth teams is crucial for the club's overall basketball development.
"I love training here. The atmosphere is great, and the connection with the fans is crucial for our team. This interaction with the youth and youth teams is also crucial. When I was a youth player at Vasco, I learned a lot watching Sandro and Vargas work together. That makes all the difference when you're starting your career," said the center for the red-and-black team.
Even with more than ten years with the Brazilian National Team and stints in Spain, Italy and Lithuania, countries that offer a first-world structure, captain Marcelinho reveals that the most important thing about training at Gávea is the identification between the players and Flamengo, which is often forgotten by the fans due to the fact that the team works daily away from the club.
"Of course, we feel privileged to have the opportunity to train at the best gym in the country. But the contact with Flamengo fans and members is very important for our identification with the club. The relationship there can be very cold due to the distance and isolation we've become accustomed to working in. Ideally, we would have the same conditions here at Flamengo, especially regarding the floor and locker rooms," said Marcelinho.