Marajó Athletes Win Bronze in Wrestling with Support from the Government of Pará
The Pará delegation shines at the 2025 Youth Games with three medals in the sport, highlighting young athletes from Salvaterra and Cachoeira do Arari
With support from the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Sports and Leisure (Seel), athletes from Pará made a mark in the sport of Wrestling during the Caixa Youth Games 2025. Held in Brasília (DF), the national competition brought together young people from all over the country and earned the Pará team three medals in Olympic wrestling, including two bronze medals in team events — in the Greco-Roman and men's freestyle styles — and a silver in the individual category.
The achievements feature young athletes from the municipalities of Salvaterra and Cachoeira do Arari, on Marajó Island, as well as the capital, Belém. In the women's freestyle style, the Pará team finished in fifth place.
Representation from the interior
The head of Seel, Cássio Andrade, celebrated the results and emphasized the importance of decentralizing sports policies in the State. “These medals have a special flavor because they show that sports are reaching all regions of Pará. Seeing young people from Marajó gaining ground in one of the largest competitions in the country is a source of great pride. Our commitment is to continue supporting so that more and more talents from the interior can shine on a national level,” said the secretary.
Unprecedented bronze in men's freestyle
The third place in the men's freestyle team event was achieved by young athletes Cauê Monteiro (15 years old), Enzo Gustavo (14 years old), and Luan da Silva (15 years old), all from the municipality of Salvaterra. The medal represented an unprecedented milestone for the team from the archipelago.
Luan da Silva described the emotion of his first participation in a national competition. “My first time here at the Youth Games. I am from the interior of Pará, from Marajó, representing Salvaterra. Just being here is already a victory. Today I achieved third place in the team event and I am very happy, a very rewarding achievement for me,” said the athlete, emotional.
In addition to the medal, Luan highlighted that this was also his first trip outside the municipality. “When I arrived in Brasília, it felt like I was still in Belém. Only later did I understand the magnitude of what we were experiencing. Representing Pará on a national level is something I will carry with me forever,” he added.
Greco-Roman team also reaches the podium
In the Greco-Roman wrestling competition, Pará returned to the podium with a team formed by João Gemaque (16 years old, from Cachoeira do Arari), Jeovani Figueiredo (15 years old, from Salvaterra), and Willian Rafael (16 years old, from Belém).
Willian Rafael was the standout of the delegation in the sport, winning two medals: silver in the individual category -48 kg and bronze in the team event. “This is a great achievement for me and for our State. We fought hard to get here and we will celebrate it like a first time. I am sure my parents will be waiting with pride when I return home,” declared the athlete.
Pará's participation continues with finals in futsal and basketball
This Friday (19), the Pará delegation continues its quest for more medals. The women's basketball team is competing for third place against Ceará at 10:30 AM. Meanwhile, the women's futsal team is vying for gold against São Paulo at 3:15 PM, after reaching the final undefeated, with four victories. The men's basketball team is competing for 7th place at 2 PM.
In the partial balance of Pará's participation in other sports:
- Men's futsal: 10th place
- Women's beach volleyball: 5th place
- Men's beach volleyball: 11th place
On the night of Thursday (18), the third and final block of the delegation departed for Brasília to compete in badminton, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, taekwondo, handball, and volleyball.
2025 Youth Games
Organized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), the Youth Games bring together around 4,700 athletes aged 14 to 17, representing the 26 states and the Federal District. The competition, which began on September 10, runs until the 25th of this month, with events in 20 sports. Pará is participating with a delegation of 217 athletes in 15 sports.
