It will not be easy for Brazil to win another Olympic Games. Giba, the biggest Brazilian star, promised to bring gold medal from Olympics in Beijing to his unborn son.
After missing out on their first major FIVB international tournament in six years at the recent World League, the Brazil Men's team, the defending Olympic champions, appeared confident at the training court in Beijing on Wednesday.
Brazil have been on such a hot win streak over the years that their talismanic captain Giba has forgotten how long it was since they last lost a major tournament. "Along the eight years Brazil won everything, every championship. Losing the one at the World League this year is one small mistake one time in eight years. It's normal. We are still very confident with ourselves," said Giba. In fact, Brazil also lost out at the 2002 World League to Russia but that was the last major trophy they failed to lift till USA won the 2008 World League Finals in Rio de Janeiro in late July.
Since 2002 they have won two FIVB World Cups in 2003 and 2007, an FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in 2005, five straight World League titles and, of course, the 2004 Olympic crown in Athens. Giba, arguably the world's No. 1 attacker, intends to repeat his experience of Athens in more ways than one: he wants the gold medal to followed by the arrival of his son, with his wife, the former Romanian player Cristina Pirv, pregnant again. It won't be the first time something similar has happened. Four years ago, Giba's daughter Nicoll was born during the Games and the father was moved into tears when he saw his daughter for the first time on the Internet.
"I don't know whether Patrick, my son, will be born during the Games this time. Doctors have said he would be born before September 10, but I really hope he can wait for a little longer because I don't want to miss the chance to become the first one to kiss him after he is born," said Giba.
Giba wants to give the same gift to Patrick as Nicoll received: an Olympic gold medal. "I don't want jealousies in my family," he said.
However, Head Coach Bernardo Rezende played down his team's expectation at the Summer Games by saying he just "wants a medal," even though most of his rivals still regard Brazil as the favorite for gold. "I and my team have a lot of pressure now, more than that in the last seven years," said the Rezende. "We have a lot of unforced errors and we made more mistakes than ever when facing a good team like the United States. That's the main reason we lost at the World League."
"We have been working hard to improving our setting and reception, so our attack can flow better. We know we can play better at the Games to beat the strong teams," Rezende said. Rezende named Serbia, Russia and Poland in Pool A and USA, Bulgaria and Italy in Pool B as Brazil's major rivals.
"China's Men's team is growing and they will be a good surprise at the Games, but I think the first three places will be among (those) seven teams," he said.
Twelve Men's teams are divided into two groups to compete in the Preliminary Round that run through Aug. 10-18 in the Olympic Volleyball Tournament. The knockout stages run from Aug. 20 to 24. Brazil will play against its first opponent Egypt on Aug. 10. (Xinhua)
Olympic Games tournament results and ranking here.
from FIVB