A sport that has already given Brazil 22 Olympic medals, three of them at the Rio 2016 Games with Rafaela Silva (gold), Mayra Aguiar (bronze) and Rafael Silva (bronze), judo is awarded by Minas Esportiva Incentivo ao Esporte. In the cities of Dionísio, in the Metropolitan territory, and São José do Goiabal, in Caparaó, Associação Ajudôu offers access to sports to 400 students from the public school system. “The Government of Minas Gerais has prioritized sport through incentive actions and tax exemptions. This is a well-planned way to guarantee resources for the population’s quality of life, leisure and the discovery of talents that will represent the flag of our state in competitions in Brazil and abroad”, observes the Secretary of State for Sports in office. , Ricardo Sapi.
At the Doutor Gomes Lima Municipal School, in Dionísio, the Ipon Social project began on January 10, 2017, while at the Manoel Lúcio de Moraes Municipal School, in São José do Goiabal, Ajudôu Year II began last Wednesday. thursday, 15th. Children and teenagers from 7 to 17 years old, in female and male suits, are organized into eight groups of 25 students and train every Monday and Wednesday for one hour, after school hours. “In classes, we work on behavior and strengthen issues of respect, discipline, patience, often relating, in a playful way, what is learned in the classroom”, reports the Association’s administrator, Júlio César Lana Jaques.
Professor at Ajudôu, Fernando Cipriano, considers social inclusion through sport to be the greatest triumph of the program. “Many of the children would not be here if it weren’t for the project. We managed to get them off the street, making them take up their time with sports activities,” he explains. E. M. Doutor Gomes Lima student, 11-year-old Mirelle Pena, has been participating in the program since 2015. “I really enjoy the classes because I can exercise, learn judo moves and also lose weight,” she says.
Júlio also celebrates the feedback he receives from schools and families. “We hear reports of improved behavior, teenagers who stop being aggressive, fighting inside schools and become more patient inside the classroom. We noticed that they feel more welcomed with our program”, he says. Most of those who participate in the activities are already students of educational institutions, however, according to the administrator, those who are interested should go with the person in charge on training days and check the availability of vacancies. If all are filled out, the candidate will be placed on the waiting list.
The Ajudôu Ano II project is being carried out for the second year in a row through the State Sports Incentive Law, while the Ipon Social is made possible for the first time. The Association raised R$ 382,801.60 for the two projects from ArcellorMittal. “It is through the Law that we are really able to make community work happen. Another important detail is the appreciation of the Physical Education professional, who finds recognition and motivation in actions like this”, concludes Júlio.
The State Sports Incentive Act
Minas Esportiva Incentive to Sport is a program to promote sports in Minas Gerais. Through it, 0.05% of the annual net revenue of ICMS that fell to the State can be directed by the contributing companies to support sports or parasports activities.
Since the State Sports Incentive Law was enacted, 452 projects have been approved that have brought benefits both to the population served and to the supporting companies. Of this total number of initiatives, 117 projects have already been executed or are being executed with resources exceeding R$ 31.8 million.
Today, the number of beneficiaries has reached more than 66,000, including children, adolescents, young people, adults and the elderly, in 51 municipalities in Minas Gerais.
