Young people from Betim, members of the Viva o Esporte project, compete in the Grand Slam, a selection process that will determine the Brazilian team for 2026

Four athletes from Minas Gerais traveled to Rio de Janeiro last Tuesday, the 24th, to participate in the Taekwondo Grand Slam, a competition that will select the athletes who will make up the 2026 Brazilian Taekwondo Team. The young people are students of the Viva o Esporte project, carried out by the Ramacrisna Institute in partnership with the Betim City Hall.

Considered the main event on the national calendar for the sport, the Grand Slam is the main goal of the year for competitors, as the selected athletes will go on to represent Brazil in international tournaments. The team hopes to win up to four spots on the national team.

In the youth category, which brings together athletes aged 15 to 17, Betim will be represented by Eduarda Pereira de Melo, 16, who competes in the up to 44kg category; Rafael Henrique Ferreira, 15, up to 59kg; Rafael Henrique Costa, also 15, in the up to 63kg category; and Pedro Yago Toneli, 17, in the up to 68kg category.

To secure their place in the Grand Slam, the young athletes had to compete throughout the last year in national championships, accumulating points in the Brazilian ranking. Rafael Henrique Ferreira and Pedro Yago Toneli secured direct spots through the ranking. Eduarda Pereira and Rafael Henrique Costa will compete in an open selection on Thursday, 26, a decisive stage to determine who will advance to the final competition, scheduled for Saturday.

According to Nilson Amaral, technical coordinator of Viva o Esporte, participation in the Grand Slam is the result of a trajectory marked by commitment and overcoming challenges. “These athletes have been dedicating themselves intensely, participating in national competitions and maintaining a rigorous training routine, always encouraged by coach Ralph Eufrasio, who has done an excellent job leading the team, with great dedication and enthusiasm, always encouraging new challenges. Our expectation is to qualify all four for the Brazilian National Team and crown all this effort,” he says.

The vice president of the Ramacrisna Institute, Solange Bottaro, emphasizes that this achievement symbolizes the transformative impact of sport. “It is a source of great pride to see our young people competing for a place on the Brazilian national team. Social projects like ours show that, when there is opportunity and support, talent flourishes and dreams become possible. The performance of these athletes reinforces the Ramacrisna Institute’s commitment to promoting inclusion, development, and new perspectives for the future,” she points out.