People who have invested in volleyball for a long time still think about Giba with excitement. The former Brazilian volleyball player has been one of the sport’s stars in the 2000s, with many considering him one of the best volleyball players in the world.
Although people have been building their tickets around him in volleyball betting, the professional player didn’t always have a pleasant journey. He’s faced obstacles in his life and career. This post will present 10 key facts about Giba.
1. He Experienced Several Health Obstacles Before Becoming a Volleyball Legend
From a very young age, Giba dealt with several health issues. For example, when he was only six months old, the athlete was diagnosed with leukemia. This motivated him to work with children fighting leukemia when he reached his adult years.
Moreover, he damaged his arm during an accident he suffered when he was only 10 years old.
2. He Debuted in 1995
Giba was born in 1976 and debuted for Brazil in 1995. It didn’t take long for him to win his first major title, the South American Championship. This huge victory pushed Brazil towards the World Grand Champions Cup in 1997, which it won.
After winning the 1996 South American Championship, Giba went on to win eight consecutive continental titles with his team. Before this, he was named MVP at the 1993 FIVB U19 World Championship.
3. He Was a Key Leader of the Brazilian Volleyball “Golden Era”
Brazil’s Golden Era for volleyball was 2002 – 2007. At the time, Giba was coached by Bernardo Rezende. Even though Brazil lost the 2002 World League final, this was a turning point for the team.
It went on an impressive winning streak, conquering 11 big international competitions consecutively. This included two World Cups, five World League titles, an Olympic gold medal, and the World Grand Champions Cup.
4. He Won Various MVP Awards in the Early 2000s
Giba’s best performance was at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. He led his team to their second Olympic gold medal in the history of volleyball. For this reason, he was named the MVP of the tournament.
But his incredible performance did not stop there. In the 2006 World League, he also won an MVP award. The same happened in the 2006 World Championship and 2007 World Cup.
Fans looked at him as the best volleyball player in the world because of this. As a result, Giba was named the best Brazilian athlete of 2006.
5. He Moved to Italy and Played in the Italian Top Division
When playing for his country, Giba was part of clubs like Cocamar, Curitibano, Nipomed, Minas, Chapecó, São Caetano, and Olympikus. But later, he went to Italy.
Giba played in Serie A1, the Italian Top Division, and in 20023, he signed with Noicom BreBanca Cuneo. He won the Italian Cup in 2006, a victory that allowed him to be named the MVP of the tournament.
However, he left Italy in the summer of 2007 so he could play with Iskra Odintsovo.
6. Giba Has Two Children
In 20023, Giba got married to Cristina Pîrv, a former Romanian-Brazilian volleyball player. The couple had 2 children: their daughter, Nicoll, was born in 2004, and their son, Patrick, was born in 2009.
In November 2012, Cristina filed for divorce and in 2013, Giba began dating Maria Luiza Dautt.
7. He Got into Management
In 2016, Giba was chosen as the President of the FIVB Athletes Commission, which was composed of 10 athletes. They were from different countries that represented not only volleyball, but also beach volleyball.
The Commission was officially launched during the 2016 Olympic Games at the Volleyball House in Rio. The IOC and the IOC Athletes’ Commission were also present.
“It is very good that now the athletes’ voices are heard, because they are the ones making the show,” Giba said in 2019. “The FIVB and the athletes – we are all one family and need to work together.”
8. Brazil Started Experiencing Losses After 2008
Even with Giba still part of the team, Brazil began to experience some issues. Giba was in the starting lineup at 32 years old, and one of the first losses during that year came at the World League in Rio de Janeiro.
People thought that Brazil would win its sixth consecutive title, but this didn’t happen. The United States seized the victory, beating Brazil in a 3-0 match.
After a few months, Brazil managed to reach the Beijing Olympics, but it couldn’t keep its gold medal. The team lost to the United States again.
After that, Giba became part of a rebuilt squad. They were able to recover from the failures and regain the World League title. Brazil beat Serbia in a five-setter.
9. He Took Part in Social Causes
Giba loves to participate in social activities. Due to his experience with leukemia from when he was very young, he supports children and orphans with cancer and even participates in prostate cancer campaigns. A while back, he supported a campaign against breast cancer with his ex-wife.
Olympic Day was celebrated by him with 600 children from Rio de Janeiro social projects.
10. He Retired from Professional Volleyball in 2014
The Brazilian volleyball player lost his spot in the starting lineup for the national team. Rezende wanted to use younger players. Still, Giba remained in the team as the captain, even bringing the group to victory again.
Following the 2012 London Olympics, he retired from the Brazilian national team. Then, in 2014, he retired from professional volleyball at 37 years old.
Despite having retired more than a decade ago, he remains one of the top volleyball players of all time. In 2018, he was also inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Fans who follow Brazil’s progress think fondly of him, and while he’s not playing professionally anymore, he still makes sure to let his fans know what he’s up to.
