Monday is the day to start training, and for FlaBasquete, August 17th marked the return to training after a nearly five-month hiatus. With a renewed roster and some new faces, the Flamengo players reported to the Hélio Maurício gymnasium in Gávea this morning. Complying with the CUIDAR safety protocol, the Orgulho da Nação players underwent COVID-19 testing, as well as physical, ophthalmological, and dental evaluations last week.

Excited about the return, coach Gustavo De Conti spoke about the feeling of returning to Gávea and the State Championship, the team's first commitment.

"It's been five months with practically no training, no playing, no being together, so, above all, we're very happy and motivated, me especially. It's what we love to do: basketball, being with our friends, the players, and the coaching staff," said Gustavinho. "We're very happy and already have the responsibility of getting things in order physically, tactically, and technically to face the big competitions we'll have this season, starting with the Campeonato Carioca. We have a strong dominance, we've been winning for many years, and we want to continue with many victories."

In addition to the State Championship, Orgulho da Nação is pursuing the Resumption of the Americas and will compete in the Champions League final at the beginning of the semester, postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The final is one of the team's main objectives in a season full of challenges, which also includes another edition of the competition and the NBB. 

FlaBasquete's last match of the year was the Champions League semifinal on March 12th. At Maracanãzinho, the Rubro-Negro came from behind to defeat Instituto Córdoba of Argentina, qualifying for the championship final undefeated. The opponent comes from a match between Quimsa and San Lorenzo, tied with one win each in the best-of-three series.