Nissan Launches Project to Encourage Young Brazilian Athletes

• Nissan Team will support 30 young Brazilian athletes focused on the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.
• Former basketball player Hortencia Marcari and Paralympic swimmer Clodoaldo da Silva will be their mentors.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Nissan in Brazil has officially announced Nissan Team, a project designed to encourage young athletes focused on the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.

Reinforcing Nissan's commitment with Brazil, the project plays an important role in Nissan's objective to support Rio 2016. Nissan Team includes legacy programs to create positive long-term social impact and inclusive marketing programs with the goal to disseminate the Olympic experience to everyone in Brazil.

To make a team of great talents, Nissan Team will select 30 highly rated young athletes who are in an advanced training stage. The athletes can enter on the website TimeNissan.com.br with links to the official Nissan Facebook page where they can describe their history and explain why they consider themselves Brazilian promises to win medals in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.  

The athletes will then be selected at the end of September by a commission that includes members of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, Ministry of Sports, Nissan executives, and Hortência Marcari and Clodoaldo Silva. The evaluation will be based on the athletes' technical qualities, ethics and respect of Nissan values.

Hortência Marcari, former basketball player and Olympic medalist, and Clodoaldo Silva, one of the greatest Paralympic medalists of all time and current member of Brazilian Paralympics swimming team for London 2012, will mentor the young athletes. Part of the mentoring includes sharing personal and athletic experiences until the beginning of the competitions in 2016.

"We have a Commitment with Brazil that goes beyond the sponsorships signed with Rio 2016™, which foresees the supply of 4500 cars with focus on clean energy (ethanol and electricity) for the Olympic Games," said Carlos Murilo Moreno, director of Marketing of Nissan do Brasil. "With Nissan Team, we want to collaborate positively for the technical and social development of the athletes who will represent our country and will be the ones Brazil will cheer for in four years."

Beyond Athletic Preparations
During the next four years, Nissan Team will promote private meetings between the mentors and the 30 athletes, as well as participate in lectures, workshops and other activities promoting the athletes' education. From now on, mentors and Nissan do Brasil will work together to develop the content and schedule of activities.

Besides promoting access and interaction of young athletes with more experienced ones, Nissan will supply a car to each member of Nissan Team. The objective is to promote mobility to them, collaborating with a better quality of life and also to a better development during trainings.

"Our support will not be limited to sporting opportunities, which will increase medal chances for each athlete," said Murilo Moreno. "We also want the young athletes to have mobility and to get more experience in actions previewed for the next four years, which will help Brazilians hold those great promises of our sport."

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Contacts

Nissan do Brasil:

Alexandre Carvalho
Supervisor de Imprensa
alexandre.carvalho@nissan.com.br
(11) 2184-8382

XComunicação:

Cristiana Vieira
cristiana.vieira@xcomunicacao.com.br
(11) 2898-7487

Stefani Duarte
stefanie.duarte@xcomunicacao.com.br
(11) 2898-7482

Alexandre Tsuneta
alexandre.tsuneta@xcomunicacao.com.br
(11) 2898-7480

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