Brazilian School Games : a record-breaking numbers in participation and engagement mark the success of the 2023 JEB’s
The Brasília edition of the Brazilian School Games - JEB's 2023 was a true success. With record-breaking numbers in participation, engagement, venues, and sporting disciplines, the event certainly exceeded expectations and will be remembered by over 7,900 participants. Over the course of 15 days, from October 26th to November 9th, when the largest school sports event stirred up Brasília, the energy of the student-athletes, aged 12 to 14, took over the federal capital of Brazil. Daily, new stories were built and shared through the JEB's platforms.
To accommodate the 18 concurrently contested disciplines, the JEB's utilized 19 competition venues, requiring a massive and efficient logistics system for transportation, meals, and lodging. To ensure everything fell into place, the organizing committee's workforce consisted of 400 members who spared no effort to ensure everything unfolded as planned.
Adapted athletics represented parasports in the 2023 edition of JEB's, bringing a lot of emotion and triumph. Student-athletes competed aiming for top positions in the gold, silver, bronze, and copper categories in events like long jump, shot put, 80-meter sprints, as well as relays.
In an example of how school sports can be a transformative social agent, the runner-up, Vitória Castro from Tocantins, shared her feelings about being at the JEB's and her desire to continue being an athlete. 'When I won the medal, I felt like the most popular girl in the world. I used to feel excluded at school, but I'm very happy to have received the silver. I want to continue being an athlete,' emotionally commented the student-athlete from Rezende Almeida State School.
JEB's Beyond the Courts
The Brasília edition of JEB's was also characterized by cultural exchange and shared experiences that took place beyond the competitions. With the presence of all 26 states and the Federal District, student-athletes spent leisure time enjoying various games offered at the community center, a must-visit spot located at the exit of the cafeteria.
With daily dance activities, group challenges, and electronic games, the venue also offered workshops on Curling and Fencing as demonstrative events. Alongside a climbing wall, human football, and table soccer, it became the favored meeting point among the participants.
Cultural tours to the tourist spots and historical sites of Brasília were conducted daily and provided free of charge to all delegations.
The State Nights, JEB's Moments, and the Opening Ceremony brought even more vibrancy to the games, marked by exchanges of experiences among the participants. During the opening ceremony, a packed audience witnessed the parade of delegations, dance performances, and the lighting of the JEB's torch.
In the second week, the Nations' Night was characterized by a cultural exchange immersion with local dance performances, exchanging items, and tasting typical foods. Meanwhile, the JEB's Moment energized the penultimate night of the event with lots of music, dancing, sparkle, and snacks, providing fun and creating new memories for all participants.
International Selection
Among the numerous achievements, victories, medals, and personal triumphs experienced in these JEB's, a new chapter opened for the student-athletes who secured the opportunity in Brasília to represent the country in the South American School Sport Games, scheduled for December 2023 in Chile.
This was the case for São Paulo's male basketball team, represented by Colégio Amorim, who, in an unprecedented final in the gold series, defeated the strong team from Pará. This accomplishment will take the team to Chile, thrilling the 14-year-old center, Eduardo Amorim. 'It's so exciting! It's my first time competing in the JEB's, and I'm very happy for the teammates I have. Now it's time to go to Chile and win there too.
Besides basketball, the South American Games will feature 10 more disciplines. Brazil will be represented by both male and female teams in adapted athletics, para-swimming, athletics, swimming, judo, chess, table tennis, basketball, handball, futsal, and volleyball. Some sports have direct qualification, such as basketball and volleyball, while others require selection based on set criteria, like swimming.
Advancement in Women's Sports
In one of the highlights of the Brazilian Confederation of School Sports (CBDE) competitions, gender equality once again took center stage. For the third consecutive year, the JEB's achieved parity between male and female student-athletes. In this Brasília edition, girls outnumbered boys slightly, just surpassing the number of male participants.
CBDE President Antônio Hora Filho emphasized the importance of female inclusion in socio-educational and educational development. 'The JEB's are among the few global events that manage to maintain equality in the number of competitors between male and female genders. We've implemented this policy, which remains one of our pillars and brings us great joy, as we understand the significance of equalizing development opportunities for all girls.’
National Relevance
Established as the largest competition in Brazilian school sports, the JEB's saw the participation of prominent figures from the sports and political arenas of Brazil. The event was graced by the presence of the Minister of Sports, André Fufuca; the Secretary of Sports from the Federal District and Congressman, Julio Cesar Ribeiro; National Secretary of High-Performance Sports, Marta Sobral; as well as the Governors of Paraíba and Acre, João Azevêdo and Gladson Cameli, among others.
JEB's Ambassador Washington Coração-Valente, former football player for the Brazilian national team and various clubs, was present throughout the entire competition and emphasized the importance of the competition for Brazil's sports development.
"It was a very gratifying and wonderful experience to be the ambassador of the JEB's for the first time. It's beautiful to have a competition that treats young people with so much care and attention, and I believe that soon we'll see many of these athletes representing Brazil in world championships and the Olympics. The JEB's are transformative for realities and a significant event for shaping athletes," commented Washington Coração-Valente.
Other nationally prominent athletes were also present at the JEB's, such as Olympic volleyball medalists Emanuel Rego and the setter Fofão (Hélia Rogério), who highlighted the competition's relevance in discovering new talents. 'Here, we have the opportunity to meet players with talent for sports and who knows, discover that their future lies in one of these disciplines,' remarked Fofão.
The appearances of Jacajeb’s, the Games' mascot, brought joy and excitement to the participants, and everyone made sure to capture those moments in photos and videos that flooded the participants' and CBDE's social media. The most beloved alligator in school sports will be a guaranteed presence at the already confirmed 2024 edition of JEB's, which will take place in Pernambuco.
The outreach of the Brasília edition of JEB's was another standout aspect. With daily efforts in disseminating results, news, social media content, special reports, and live broadcasts, viewers across Brazil could experience a bit of the JEB's magic. This was due to hundreds of social media posts and over 1,500 hours of exclusive live content streamed on CBDE's YouTube channel, featuring interviews, games, and award ceremonies.
The Brazilian School Games 2023 were organized by the Brazilian Confederation of School Sports (CBDE), sponsored by Vale Foundation - Sports Incentive Law, and supported by the Federal Government; Department of Sports and Leisure of the Federal District; Department of Tourism of the Federal District; Sport Ministery.
