IN just nine days, the Rio Olympics will samba itself into our television screens. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 6, at 7 a.m. (Philippine time) from the Maracana Stadium with an expected pulsating, colorful fiesta of Brazilian culture. It starts at 8 p.m. local time on August 5.
This is the first time that the Summer Olympics will be held in Rio, the first time in South America and the first time in a Portuguese-speaking country.
Rio’s triumph as host city of the XXXI Olympiad was announced at the 121st Session of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen, Denmark, in October 2009. The various sporting events will be held in 33 venues in the host city and at five venues in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil’s largest city), Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília (Brazil’s capital), and Manaus from August 5 to 21.
As a city, Rio is world famous for its Carnival—a wild, five-day celebration marked by parades, dancing, drinking and partying in the streets. Held before Lent each year, it is said to be the biggest carnival in the world. (Not the longest, however. That distinction belongs to Uruguay, whose carnival stretches on for 40 days, beginning in January and ending in March.) Two million people are on the streets of Rio for all of those five boisterous days. The first Rio festivals date back to 1723.
But apart from Carnival, the Christ the Redeemer art deco statue by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski and its tempting beaches, Rio is also regarded as a sports city. It is famous for its football passion and prowess for the sport. Volleyball, mixed martial arts and motor sports, especially Formula One, are also very popular. Basketball, too.
In fact, when Filipinos hear the name Rio de Janeiro, basketball always comes to mind. It was in Rio where the Philippine national team scored its greatest feat yet in world basketball. Rio was the site of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) World Championships where the Philippines took third place on the world stage in 1954. According to Quinito Henson, “no Asian Country, not even China, has come close to eclipsing or duplicating [that] finish.”
The man who led the Philippines in that campaign was no other than Carlos Loyzaga, also known as King Caloy or The Big Difference. In that tournament, Loyzaga was named into the Mythical Five alongside Kirby Minter of the United States, Oscar Moglia of Uruguay, Zenny de Acevedo of Brazil and Vlamir Marques of Brazil.
Both the Philippine team and Caloy himself were inducted into the Philippine Hall of Fame by the Philippine Sports Commission in 2010 for that singular achievement in Rio. Caloy was recognized as one of the world’s best five basketball players in a poll conducted by international sportswriters in 1960.
A record number of countries are said to be participating in the Rio Olympics this year.
More than 10,500 athletes from 206 countries including first-time participants Kosovo and South Sudan, are scheduled to compete. 306 sets of medals for 28 Olympic sports, including rugby sevens and golf, will be awarded to the most outstanding world competitors.
But besides the official and mainstream sports competed for in the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics, Rio is said to be a sports city in other ways. People play alternative sports at its beaches and lakes, even up its mountains.
Slacklining is one such alternative sport. All one needs is a couple of trees, a tape and a good sense of balance. The sport is best described as a cross between tightrope walking and trampolining. A truly simple and homegrown sport, its players usually use the available palm trees, tie a tape around one, stretch it across to the other tree, tie it up, then walk or bounce across it while maintaining balance. Slackline enthusiasts are found along Rio’s southern coast, especially in Copacabana and Ipanema. Slackline has become a sensation in Rio recently.
Then there’s Frescobol, or Beach Tennis. It follows the same scoring system as regular tennis and has similar court rules to volleyball, but high nets are used and the ball must not touch the ground. No experience is needed for one to be able to join in and nets and paddles are often provided. All one needs is beachwear and a game attitude. Posto 12 in Leblon and Pepê Beach in Barra are two noted beach tennis hot spots.
Another alternative sport is Footvolley which is played like beach volleyball, except you don’t use your hands. This sport—called futevolei by cariocas—has all but replaced beach volleyball in Rio’s beaches, from Copacabana straight down to Barra. The best and most competitive games are said to take place along the Ipanema/Leblon strip. This alternative sport is not all up for grabs for just anyone, though. It requires a lot of skill. Everybody, however, is welcome to watch.
There is also Stand-Up Paddle. Another wildly popular beach sport, SUP (pronounced ‘soupie’ in Brazil) is done alone. The picturesque backdrop and waterways of Rio are the scenes for this meditative sport that forces one to challenge oneself. Some of the best places for SUP are Praia Vermelha in Urca, Arpoador at the start of Ipanema and the waters near Fort Copacabana. There is an opportunity to paddle through lagoons and mangroves westward at Restinga de Marambaia in Barra. But beginners must have a guide.
Last, there’s Trail Running. Already one of Rio’s favorite pastimes, running takes one through the city’s stunning landscapes without the need for a uniform, helmet, equipment or enlistment. Just go to the hills and forests and run. Some of the best trails can be found in Tijuca Forest, Paineiras and Alto da Boa Vista. There are also trails outside of the city, in the mountains around Teresópolis and Petrópolis. Trail Running is growing in popularity in Rio among tourists and city residents.
You don’t need to live up to Olympic standards to compete in these sports. Just make sure you have a lot of fun.