Thursday, November 23rd, 2023.- With tears and hugs, the Brazilian players celebrated the bronze medal they achieved in the wheelchair rugby competition at Santiago 2023. They had plenty of reasons to do so: by defeating Colombia 57-52, they avenged their two previous losses in the Parapan American Games in Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019, both also for the third place against the same opponent. Additionally, they secured a spot in the playoffs for Paris 2024. 

The match was highly contested and characterized by tight marking, constant physicality, and few errors. However, the Brazilian strategy yielded better results, especially in one-on-one marking, where they stole many balls. The five-point advantage they gained in the second quarter was maintained until the end. 

Gabriel Feitosa was the standout player of the match, scoring 33 points. Very happy, he stated, "We played a very good game. We never lost our marks, and we won the contested balls. Happy because we could change the history here in Santiago." 

John Orozco from Colombia (scoring 26 points) said, "It was a close and intense match. They made fewer mistakes than us. That's how it goes; there is always a winner and a loser, and this time, we couldn't celebrate. 

Written by Esteban Gómez - Alejandro Pérez / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Dragomir Yankovic / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport