CBDU Celebrates Brazil’s Best Student Athletes for 2009

 The Award Winners

The Celebration “CBDU´s Best Athletes of the Year” congregated, on December 3rd, in São Paulo (SP), some of the main names of the recent history of Brazilian national university sport.

Robson Caetano (1989 Universiade gold medallist) and Daiane dos Santos (gold and silver medallist at the 2001 and 2005 Universiades, were the guests of honor, and Luciano Cabral, President of CBDU (Brazilian University Sports Confederation), delivered the trophy of Athlete Prominence to young talents in 16 modalities.

Brazilian’s medallists at the 2009 Universiade in Belgrade, Serbia – Natália Falavigna and Diogo Silva (taekwondo), Felipe France (swimming), Fabiano Peçanha and Moacir Zimmermann (athletics) and the Men’s volleyball team, were honored by CBDU.

Special attention went to Fabiano Peçanha who received an award for his performance at the 2009 SU (bronze on the 800m) and for his record of multiple medals at the Universiade. Peçanha collected six medals in Universiades: two bronzes in 1,500m; two bronzes in 800m; silver in 800m and gold in 800m. “I am very happy. Conquering a medal already is a dream for any athlete. But being the medal record holder of medals for your country at the Universiade is still more special,” vibrated Peçanha.

“I want to thank and to congratulate all the athletes, authorities, federations and partners for this season. CBDU´s main objective is to provide structure and quality for young athletes. University’s sport doesn’t make just athletes, but athletes and citizens”, said Luciano Cabral, President of CBDU and FISU Vice-President.

League

The event also marked the end of the Brazilian University League. During four days (28th November to 3rd December) more than 900 athletes from 13 states played futsal, volleyball, handball and basketball tournaments.

Universities from São Paulo won three of the eights trophies: women’s basket with UNIP’s team; and men’s and women’s handball with UniSant’anna’s. Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina got two gold medals each. Rio won the men’s basket and futsal; and Santa Catarina the women’s futsal and men’s volley. And Pernambuco celebrated its first place in women’s volleybal.

Forum

Besides the games and celebrations, CBDU also discussed the contributions of university sports to the Olympics Games of Rio de Janeiro in 2016 at CBDU´s Forum (30th November to 2nd December).

Authorities and sports managers from CBDU, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), the Paraguay Olympic Committee, Ministry of Sport, national universities and student’s representatives presented their projects and plans for supporting Rio 2016.

“We have to congregate forces and use the millions of young athletes at universities and university’s structure of gymnasium to support and discover names that will play and work at Rio 2016”, completed Luciano Cabral.

Luciano Cabral with Daiane dos Santos & Robson Caetano