Five athletes from the “Viva o Esporte” project, organized by the Ramacrisna Institute in partnership with the Betim City Government, concluded their participation in the 2026 Loterias Caixa Brazilian Youth Track and Field Championship with medals in various Paralympic track and field events. The competition, held September 14–17 at the Ibirapuera track in São Paulo, brought together more than 900 young athletes from different Brazilian states.

In total, the Betim team won six medals: one gold, three silver, and two bronze. The standout performer was Eduardo Araújo, in the T71 class, who won the 100-meter race and also set a new record in the Under-20 category.

In the field events, Raphael Castro, in the F37 class, took the podium twice. He won the silver medal in the javelin throw and the bronze in the discus throw. Richard Maffia, in the T20 class, finished as runner-up in the long jump.

In the track events, João Oliveira, in the T37 class, also secured second place, this time in the 400-meter dash. Rounding out the team’s performance, Anthony Oliveira won the bronze medal in the javelin throw.

Competition Brought Together Young Talents in Paralympic Track and Field

Organized by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, the Loterias Caixa Youth Brazilian Track and Field Championship brings together athletes from different regions of the country and aims to promote athletic development, discover new talent, and provide young competitors with experience in high-level competition.

For the athletes from Viva o Esporte, the competition also represents an opportunity to broaden their competitive experience and measure their performance against participants from different states. The Betim delegation included five athletes and four members of the coaching staff, who accompanied the competitors during the four days of competition at Ibirapuera.