The legislative assembly of the state of Paraná held a formal meeting on Tuesday evening (16th) in honor of the Open Combat Games. The ceremony organized by MP Alexandre Amaro (Rep) took place in the plenary of the House of Representatives and aimed to appreciate the professionals who promote the program and support the athletes Paranás. “The ceremony is an opportunity to recognize the transformative role of sport in the life of young people and in society,” said the MP. In addition, the Open Combat Games promote sport, discipline, health and social inclusion. “It is time to appreciate all those who contribute to Paraná’s status as a reference in the martial arts,” he emphasized.
The MEP said that the competition initiative was developed in cooperation between the legislative assembly, the state government and the Ministry of Sports. “The first hearing took place in this parliament building. Here the idea arose to take martial arts out of the games in order to raise awareness and to present the work of these sports,” he reported. The proposal was so successful that over ten thousand athletes have already taken part in the program. The competition combines more than ten sports and mobilizes thousands of athletes. It not only promotes sport, but also tourism and social development in the cities in which it takes place. The sports include Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and other martial arts.
creation
Paraná’s sports minister Helio Renato Wirbiski also spoke about the origins of the event. He recalled that MP Amaro and other members of the sports committee in 2019 campaigned for more martial arts at a meeting in the plenary hall of the House of Representatives. “We had the idea of combining ten sports in a single competition, whereby the state government would cover and support the costs. At the beginning we managed to mobilize about three to four thousand athletes. Today, at the event in October in Maringá, we will have around six to take part in participants and thus boost local and regional trade and tourism,” he explained.
“We have brought a lot of new things into sports. Paraná Combate is one of them, as is the adventure and natural games, the senior games, Pedala Paraná and other events that we have launched in cooperation with representatives. A proof of this is that we have become a national reference in Brazilian sport. We are proud of this award,” said Wirbiski.
For Emerson Luis Venturini de Oliveira, coordinator for competitive sports at Paraná Esportes, the martial arts scene in the state is very strong and has several champions in the MMA and other disciplines. “Paraná Combate ensures a lot of spontaneous media attention due to the strength of the martial arts. With ten disciplines and only public financing, there is nothing comparable in Brazil. It is an event that appreciates the athletes, recognizes the efforts of the vicarious cities and shows that sport is not a cost factor, but an investment,” he explained.
recognition
“We are very grateful for the recognition of our work, in particular by the legislative assembly of the state of Paraná, which represents the entire population of Paraná. This recognition is a great enrichment for us,” commented Curitiba’s Minister for Sport, Leisure and Youth, Euler de Freitas Silva Junior. For him, this award means that we are on the right track. “We support sport, and we are very happy to give us such an award and give us new energy for our work, especially in martial arts,” he emphasized.
For John Lineker, a professional MMA athlete from Paranaguá, the recognition through the management of Paraná Combate is not only a recognition of their administrative work, but also strengthens the athletes’ support network. “This is very important for our social projects. I managed to get to the top of the world and to fight the world’s greatest MMA event, the UFC. Sport is indispensable in the life of young people and children, and initiatives such as the congressman Alexandre Amaro, undoubtedly enrich her life,” explained the one championship champion.
The ceremony included a Kung Fu demonstration of the WU-Shu Kung Fu group from Curitiba on the subject of “Chinese dragon dance”, a Taekwondo demonstration by participants in the Yeshua Social Projekt of the Fazenda Rio Grande under the direction of Master Adriano and a Hapkido demonstration of the Trouble Tiger Team from Piraquara under the direction of Master Leo Rusik. The city councilor of Curitiba, Meri Martins (Rep), also took part in the event.
Winner
The following people received honorable mentions in recognition of their work as a sponsor of the martial arts in Paraná: the sports minister of Paraná, Helio Wirbiski; The General Director of the Sports Secretariat of Paraná, Ilson Augusto Rhoden; The director and president of the Paraná Esporte department, Walmir da Silva Matos; The urban sports secretary of Curitiba, Euler de Freitas Silva Junior; The director of the department for sports and leisure, João Antonio Cavalli; Paraná Esporte’s performance coordinator, Emerson Luis Venturini de Oliveira; The coordinator for sports justice, Andreia Marcia Horst; The technical managers of Paraná Combate, Adalberto Bueno Sobrinho and Sérgio Correa de Melo; In addition, secretaries, directors and sports coordinators from different communities, including: Rio Branco do Sul (Marcos Paulo Azevedo Dos Santos), Colombo (Rodrigo Marcel Coradin), Candói (Thaina Matos de Soouza and Luciano Otto), Fazenda Rio Grande (Paulo Eduardo dos Santos and Leandro Raksa), Cascavel (Eurico Chagas), Piraquara (Joslei Inácio Villas). Boas and Daiana Brudeck), Diamante d’Oeste (Raquel Cattani and Leila Beatriz Silveira Amaral da Costa), Morretes (Darcicly Junqueira), São Pedro Do Iguaçu (Robson Carulli Bini), Lidianópolis (Alex Cezar da Silva), Agudos do Sul (Adriano José Tureck), Londrina (Lorival da Silva Junior), Paranaguá (José Miguel Pereira) and Terra Rica (Suzian Martins dos Santos Vieira).
What: Aleppo
