Time Brasil athletes received a special encouragement for great achievements during the Olympic Games Beijing 2008. Visiting China’s capital to attend Games Opening Ceremony and further Rio’s bid to host 2016  Olympic Games, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the Olympic Village on Thursday, August 7 and became the first president ever to pay a visit to Brazilian athletes at the Olympic Village. Wearing a shirt displaying Rio 2016 logo, Lula got together with about 60 Brazilian athletes providing yet another proof of the priority assigned to sport by his administration.

After  a brief visit to Olympic Village Mayor, president Lula was welcomed by athletes and members of Time Brasil at the Village restaurant and made a point of greeting each athlete personally. Sports like volleyball, beach soccer, diving, tennis, table tennis, shooting sport and wrestling were represented at the meeting.  "I feel this type of motivational meeting should become common practice.  Throughout the year these athletes travel all around the world representing Brazil and they really deserve our admiration," president Lula said between  photos with athletes from Brazil and other countries.

To BOC president Carlos Arthur Nuzman president Lula’s visit to the Olympic Village was an historical event.  "No other Brazilian president had visited an Olympic Village before. President Lula has always given his full support to sport. His visit to the Brazilian delegation at the Olympic Village again proves how committed both president Lula and the Minister of Sport are with sport development. It is a pleasure to be close to somebody who is always so keenly interested in collaborating with the Olympic ideals", BOC president commented.

Brazilian diving team athlete Juliana Veloso underlined the significance of  president Lula’s visit to the athletes. "It was wonderful to have the president among us and seeing him getting acquainted with the Olympic Village and our reality since we are aspiring to host an edition of the Olympic Games", she said.