Double Olympic champion Serginho pays visit to Brazil's sitting volleyball team
Fresh from winning Olympic gold, Serginho visited the team's training centre and tried his hand at the Paralympic sport
Serginho found sitting volleyball a much harder challenge than he expected (Photo: MPIX/CPB/Marcio Rodrigues)
After winning his second Olympic gold medal on Sunday (21 August), veteran Brazilian volleyball star Serginho paid an inspirational visit to the country's sitting volleyball team ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
"I know that the Brazilian team is one of the favourites," the 40-year-old told Globoesporte.com at the training centre in São Paulo. "They have the pressure of playing at home, but this is great for the sport.
"If I can I will try to watch the final. Brazilian fans should go and support them. They are Brazilians just like us."
Brazil defeat Italy to win men's volleyball gold at the Maracanazinho
The Brazilian men's side have never won a Paralympic medal in sitting volleyball. However, the team has improved rapidly in recent years. In 2014 they were runners-up to Bosnia and Hercegovina in the world championship in Poland, eliminating powerhouse Iran in the semi-finals.
At the 2015 Para Pan-American Games in Toronto, Brazil won the gold medal for the first time.
Brazil will be a major medal contender at Rio 2016 (Photo: CPB)
At Rio 2016, the host nation will be among the favourites for medals, along with perennial contenders Iran and Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Sitting volleyball powerhouses to face off early in Rio
Serginho tried his hand at sitting volleyball for the first time on his visit.
"It was my first experience of playing sitting volleyball and it is very hard. What these guys do on the court is not easy.
"Olympic volleyball is very easy when you see what they are doing," he said.
