COB Welcomes Children for Cultural and Sport Activities Aiming to Promote the Olympic Values

COB Transform Program introduced badminton and taekwondo to about 70 children on Wednesday the 24th

The Brazil Olympic Committee (COB) literally opened its doors to pupils and teachers of Rio de Janeiro municipal school system. Approximately 70 children from 6 to 9 years of age from the Municipal Schools Átila Nunes Neto, in Jacarepaguá, and Professor Manoel Maurício, in Cosmos, enjoyed a very special morning on Wednesday, October 24, in their first contact with the Olympic Movement through cultural, ludic and sport activities at COB headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

The COB Open Doors action was a joint action sponsored by the Transform Program designed by COB to promote the Olympic values and the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Secretariat of Education.

"It’s fantastic to see COB, the home of Brazilian athletes, full of children. This is an opportunity for them to learn about the Olympic values they will keep for the rest of their lives: respect, friendship and the search for excellence", COB general director Rogério Sampaio, says. "Sport breeds passion and can change for the best the lives of these children. This is the message we wish to convey them today", added Rogério, judo gold medalist at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992.

The pupils took part in badminton and taekwondo clinics, watched a theater performance and attended a painting workshop about the Olympic Movement. By the end of the meeting, before a light meal was served, they had the opportunity to meet Time Brasil’s mascot Ginga the jaguar. "It was a really cool day and I loved all games. But I prefer the combat to that racket game", said 8-year old Igor França da Silva, from the Átila Nunes Neto school, who was still confused about the names of the sports he had tried for the first time in his life.

To Carolina Araújo, COB manager of Culture and Olympic Values, this was also a very special morning to COB. "The mission of the Transform Program is to promote the Olympic values taking the Olympic theme to the school environment and approaching social-emotional abilities. Today we took the opposite route by bringing the children to COB to convey positive lessons and show them the benefits sport can bring to their lives", Carolina commented. "We wish to bring culture and education together through sport, this time we had badminton and taekwondo, we always take an educational approach", she said.

On November 6, COB will sponsor another action and will again open its doors to other schools of the Municipal Secretariat of Education of Rio de Janeiro.

COB

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