Pedro Solberg (left) and Evandro Gonçalves were silver medallists at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Maceio Open in 2016
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 25, 2016 - When the Rio 2016 Olympic Games kick off on August 5, Brazil's beach volleyball and volleyball players will carry the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.
The popularity of beach volleyball and volleyball in Brazil is such that both events at this year's Summer Games are set to be among the most popular in Rio de Janeiro. And the country's athletes have benefitted from state-of-the-art training facilities in Saquarema as they prepare for the biggest event on their agendas in 2016.
In an interview with Swiss television channel RTS, Evandro Gonçalves said: "It is going to be a marvellous year for us to participate in the Games in our home country. We are very happy to have qualified and to be able to play in front of our fans and family. We are training very hard so that everything goes well for us."
Evandro and partner Pedro Gonçalves - both from Rio - will be one of two Brazilian men's teams alongside world champions Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt playing for gold this summer. Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes and world champions Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas will represent Brazil in the women's beach volleyball tournament.
Watch video on rts.ch (in French)With volleyball taking place at the renowned Maracanãzinho stadium and beach volleyball on the famous Copacabana beach, tickets sales for both disciplines have topped Rio 2016 organisers’ lists.
Follow all the build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on
fivb.com. Click here for information about the qualification process for the Olympic Games:
beach volleyball and
volleyball.