Athletes from Óbidos and Santarém secure spots for the state stage of Joapa
In the Regional stage of Baixo Amazonas, athletes from Almeirim and Alenquer secured third place in both men's and women's categories
The table tennis finals of the XIV edition of the Jogos Abertos do Pará (Joapa) took place this Saturday (19), in Monte Alegre, in western Pará, as part of the Regional stage of Baixo Amazonas. Rogério Figueira, from the municipality of Óbidos, won the gold medal in the men's category, securing his participation in the state phase. In the women's category, Bianca Almeida, from Santarém, also stood on the top of the podium. Joapa is organized by the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Sports and Leisure (Seel).
In handball, athletes from Almeirim and Alenquer secured bronze medals, finishing third in both men's and women's categories, respectively. The competition continues until Sunday (20).
According to the State Secretary of Sports and Leisure, Cássio Andrade, "it is a joy to see all the athletes practicing what they love: sports. Joapa is integration, it is unity, it is an exchange of experiences. From here, champions will emerge for the state stage, but also athletes with new cultural and social learnings. I congratulate our medalists in table tennis and the handball athletes for achieving third place."
Participating municipalities of the Baixo Amazonas Regional:
More than 650 athletes participate in the fifth phase of Joapa, representing the municipalities of Alenquer, Almeirim, Curuá, Itaituba, Monte Alegre, Óbidos, and Santarém. The competitions involve the modalities of futsal, beach soccer, volleyball, handball, and table tennis.
The table tennis champion, Rogério Figueira, celebrated the victory. "It's great to participate once again in Joapa here in Monte Alegre. It was wonderful. A very competitive match, especially this final with Antônio, an experienced athlete, but Óbidos prevailed. We came out with the victory. I am very happy," said the athlete from Óbidos.
Participating for the first time in Joapa, table tennis athlete Bianca Almeida also expressed her happiness with "my first participation. I already took first place. I will represent Santarém very well, God willing, in December, at the Belém stage. It's very good even to encourage sports in our region. I thank the Government of Pará for this event."
The competition encompasses all 144 municipalities in Pará, divided into ten regional stages. The goal is to promote sports and foster social inclusion through sports practice. In addition to medals, Joapa awards municipalities with the best performance with the Efficiency Trophy.
Men's table tennis podium:
1st place - Óbidos - ROGÉRIO FIGUEIRA
2nd place - Santarém - ANTÔNIO BRANCO
3rd place - Santarém - LUCAS SOUSA
3rd place - Itaituba - GABRIEL SILVA
Women's table tennis:
1st place - Santarém - BIANCA ALMEIDA
2nd place - Itaituba - KANANDA OLIVEIRA
3rd place - Óbidos - MIRIAM SOUZA
3rd place - Monte Alegre - WAYLLA AMARAL
