Many of the 12 to 14 year old athletes taking part in the 2009 School Olympics, in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais state, dream of representing Brazil at the 2016 Olympic Games. This explains the commotion caused by the Rio 2016 bid video shown during the opening ceremony of the 2009 School Olympics. The celebration yesterday marked the beginning of the biggest Brazilian school event. Among those present were the mayor of Poços de Caldas, Paulo César Silva, the municipal sports secretary of Poços de Caldas, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, and the director general of the School Olympics, Edgar Hubner.

The 2009 School Olympics has attracted 3,000 athletes from 900 public and private sector schools from across Brazil, a record for the largest student event in the country. Twenty four delegations (from 23 Brazilian states and the host city) will be represented in nine sports (athletics, basketball, futsal, handball, judo, swimming, table tennis, volleyball and chess). In addition to the competitions, the 2009 School Olympics features an extensive educational program. The school children will watch videos and attend talks and puppet shows. There will also be attractions such as a travelling library with story tellers and a giant chess set.

The high point of the opening ceremony was when a Rio 2016 bid video was shown. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will choose the Host City for the 2016 Games on 2 October in Copenhagen, Denmark. Despite the high spirits caused by the video, the athletes were quite serious and reflective when asked about their potential participation in an Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. Currently, their dream is to polish their talents. “The Olympic Games is still a distant dream for me. It’s still far off, but in the meantime I intend to improve my performance,” said 14-year-old sprinter Raianne Santos Alves. “My feet are on the ground and I know there’ll be a lot of hard work until then,” she added hopefully. Despite the humility of her declaration, she puts her modesty to one side to say that there are no opponents of her level in her home city. “Nobody likes to run with me. Not even the older boys. They know they’ll lose,” reveals Raianne, smiling.

After the symbolic parade of representatives of the 24 delegations present at the ceremony, Edgar Hubner welcomed all the athletes. “On behalf of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, I wish all of you success at the 2009 School Olympics,” he said.

Mayor Paulo César Silva then declared the games open. He greeted the delegations and praised the integration between regions and cultures promoted by the event. “I see pride on the faces of everybody here brandishing their flags. More important than winning medals is the opportunity to meet people from all over Brazil, to make friends and exchange experiences through sport,” declared the mayor of Poços de Caldas (Minas Gerais state).