Flamengo partners with the Rio de Janeiro Institute of Ophthalmology for CUIDAR
IORJ representatives visit the club to sign the contract in the president's office
By Isabel Oberg, Isabela Abirached and Mariana Sá - in
Flamengo, through CUIDAR (Unified Center for Identification and Development of Performance Athletes), an interdisciplinary project of Olympic Sports, entered into a partnership with the Rio de Janeiro Institute of Ophthalmology (IORJ), on the morning of this Tuesday (6), in the office of president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello.
In addition to the club's president, Izabel Rohlfs, Sports Science Manager, Marcelo Vido, Executive Director of Olympic Sports, and Bruno Barki, the club's co-owner and board member, represented the club. For the IORJ, members Gustavo Bonfadini, Almyr Sabrosa, and Renato Luiz Patuzzo, all ophthalmologists, represented the club.
One of the creators of the partnership and a friend of Almyr Sabrosa, one of the Institute's partners, Barki explained how the partnership came about.
Bandeira de Mello highlighted the importance of the partnership for the club's pioneering work.
In addition to the club's president, Izabel Rohlfs, Sports Science Manager, Marcelo Vido, Executive Director of Olympic Sports, and Bruno Barki, the club's co-owner and board member, represented the club. For the IORJ, members Gustavo Bonfadini, Almyr Sabrosa, and Renato Luiz Patuzzo, all ophthalmologists, represented the club.
"It's an innovative initiative in high-performance sports, as the IORJ brings us better visual health, allowing us to improve athletes' performance and quality of life. Since CUIDAR works with health and performance, this partnership fits very well. Currently, you can find several articles relating these two topics, so it's something very current and innovative for a club that strives for excellence in sport. We're definitely ahead of the curve," said Izabel.
One of the creators of the partnership and a friend of Almyr Sabrosa, one of the Institute's partners, Barki explained how the partnership came about.
"Almyr is a longtime friend of mine and has several exciting projects under his belt. Talking with him, we thought about working together on a project combining their excellence in ophthalmology with one of Brazil's leading Olympic athlete bases. With the human resources Flamengo offers and the quality of the IORJ's work, the athletes have everything they need to thrive. It also involves a humanitarian aspect, as many are low-income and haven't had any support since childhood. Being able to receive this treatment and improve their performance will be beneficial for all parties involved," he explained.
Dr. Bonfadini praised the Institute's pride in participating in this initiative alongside the club.
"This partnership between Flamengo and IORJ is innovative; there's nothing like it in Brazil regarding athletes' eye health. We'll evaluate both potential vision problems they may have, as well as their visual performance. We hope this will also improve their athletic performance. We'll be involved in the athletic development of young athletes all the way up to professional level. IORJ is very proud to have Flamengo in this partnership; it's a social initiative the Institute is working with the club. We hope to improve the eye health of all of them," he stated.
Bandeira de Mello highlighted the importance of the partnership for the club's pioneering work.
"I think it's extremely important, given that Flamengo is positioning itself as a cutting-edge club. I believe that taking care of our athletes' visual health has everything to do with performance excellence. So I'm sure that in a few years we'll be celebrating the results of this partnership," the president concluded.
About CUIDAR
The Unified Center for Identification and Development of High-Performance Athletes seeks to enhance interdisciplinarity in sports by combining athlete training with collaborative work from various sports disciplines to complement each individual's development. The goal is to not only train athletes but also develop the professionals involved in developing new talent, focusing on six areas: physical preparation, technique, tactics, and intellectual, educational, and emotional development.
The Unified Center for Identification and Development of High-Performance Athletes seeks to enhance interdisciplinarity in sports by combining athlete training with collaborative work from various sports disciplines to complement each individual's development. The goal is to not only train athletes but also develop the professionals involved in developing new talent, focusing on six areas: physical preparation, technique, tactics, and intellectual, educational, and emotional development.