Olympic beach volleyball champions Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego have been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Brazilian Olympic Committee during a ceremony held at the Copacabana Palace.
The Brazilian pair are among the most successful teams in the history of the sport. They won gold at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and claimed bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, maintaining a consistent presence at the highest level across multiple Olympic cycles.
They were crowned world champions in 2003 in Rio de Janeiro and won five titles on the FIVB World Tour. The pair also took gold at the Rio 2007 Pan American Games, building a record that placed them among the leading teams of their generation.
Ricardo and Emanuel were the final honourees of the evening and were led onto the stage by Olympic champion Alison Cerutti.
They received the honour from Olympic champions Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires, both members of the Hall of Fame, alongside CBV president Radamés Lattari.
They then walked in together and left their marks on the Hall of Fame plaque.
Speaking during the ceremony, Ricardo Santos said, “I thank Radamés Lattari, president of the CBV, and the entire technical staff who were part of this, especially Dentinho, who was a great supporter of mine. I also thank my family – my wife, my son who is here, and my other two children who could not attend. I would also like to leave a special message for someone who is unfortunately no longer here, Paulo, who was responsible for my sporting life and for bringing me into volleyball. Unfortunately, we lost him last year. Certainly, without him, I would not be able to experience this very special moment. Thank you all for being here.”
Emanuel Rego also addressed the audience during the ceremony, saying, “I thank the Brazilian Olympic Committee, not for the tribute, but for bringing this spirit of having more athletes wanting to be in special places and giving them the opportunity. I would like to express my thanks and recognition to our technical team, Caja and Rossini, two giants who took us far.”
Photo source: Alexandre Loureiro/ COB
