‘My focus is Paris 2024’, says AM indigenous athlete after qualifying for ‘World Archery Championships’ in France and Colombia

Bruno Pacheco – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – “My focus is Paris 2024”. So the Amazonian indigenous archery athlete Gustavo Paulino dos Santos, 25, answered about what was his dream as an athlete. The young man qualified for the Archery World Cup stages in France and Colombia, competitions that help score the participants towards the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

To CENARIUM MAGAZINE, the Amazonian recalled the “almost access” to Tokyo 2020, when he was in 4th place in the general classification of the Brazilian National Archery Team. Being among the top three, says Gustavo Santos, is one of his first goals for this year.

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“It is a very important step, because in 2021, I placed 4th in four selectives. Even for Tokyo 2020, I was 4th in the Brazilian general classification. And one of the first goals this year was to overcome that, to be among the top three and be able to increase more confidence, intensify more the work, maintain and continue evolving,” recalled the young man.

Natural of the Nova Kuanã community, on the banks of the Cuieiras river, in the countryside of Amazonas, the athlete secured second place in selective of the sport, winning a spot on the Brazilian National Team and participation in three international stages this year. In early May this year, Santos also had his first participation in a World Cup, in the stage in Kwangju, South Korea.

“The participation in the World Cup in Korea was a motivating experience, because it was my first. I performed well in both individual and team at the national level. And it was really a learning experience to know how the world level is and to know how to work on top of that to go to the next stages, which I still have two to go this year,” Santos stressed.

Athlete since 2013

Gustavo Santos’ history with archery began in 2013, when the athlete started practicing the sport through the Indigenous Archery Project, developed since that year by the Amazônia Sustentável Foundation (FAS), in partnership with the Amazon Federation of Archery (Fatarco) and the Government of Amazonas.

The initiative, financed by Bemol Group, has the support of the Confederation of Indigenous Organizations and Peoples of Amazonas (Coipam), the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab), the State Indian Foundation and the Ministry of Citizenship, through the Sports Incentive Law. For Gustavo Santos, who remembers the struggle to continue in the sport, the path is long and brought him important achievements.

“I was 16 when this whole trajectory started. It’s a very long work. I went through several difficulties within the sport to get to the national level and be able to compete in a competition. Today, I have been practicing the sport for nine years to be able to be at the level I am now. The sport has allowed me many achievements, personal and professional”, highlighted the athlete.

Among Santos’ achievements is a degree in Physical Education, besides being able to travel to other countries and get to know new cultures and languages. “Sports allowed me to leave the comfort zone where I was. Through sport I was able to study, graduate in Physical Education, get to know many other places and it helped me. Today I am a totally different person than I was nine years ago”, emphasized Gustavo Santos.

With the same focus as any other athlete, Santos dreams of entering the Olympics as a participant. While the goal is not materialized, the Amazonian reinforces that his objective is to keep on qualifying for international competitions and gain more experience.

“I am working on that, aiming 2024. All this training time that I have been having is aimed at this. My main focus is to be in the Olympics and among the best in Brazil and, in the future, in the world. I take it very seriously, I am dedicating myself daily and running after the goals I have to reach. My final focus is Paris 2024. But for now, it’s just one day at a time and keep training,” he concluded.