Cheerleading is winning over the public at the Brazilian University Games (JUBs) in Joinville. For the third time, the sport is part of the programme of Latin America's biggest university sports event and made its debut in Santa Catarina on Wednesday (11) at Expoville.
Cheerleading is a sport that consists of a two-minute and thirty-second performance made up of several features. One of them is the tumbling session, which is the floor part, as well as the lifts, when team members lift their colleagues, the pyramids, when several people are lifted, and dances and jumps within the choreographies. At the start of the performances, the teams always do a cheer session, with the aim of winning over the audience. This tradition dates back to the sport's beginnings in Europe, says Gian Carlo Queroz Quintino, the sport's coach.
Teams from 11 universities are taking part in the three-day competition. On Wednesday, the premieres took place, which account for 40% of the marks. On Thursday, the performances will account for 60% of the score. On Friday, the teams will be able to fight for an extra score.
Cheerleading is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is fighting to be included in the programme for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (United States).
The sport originated in England, but became popular in the United States to cheer on fans during breaks in games, especially basketball and American football. In Brazil, the sport has been on the rise for 10 years, with its practice and dissemination increasing.
The JUBs are the biggest university sports event in Latin America and are in their 70th edition. The event brings together more than 5,000 athletes from 320 higher education institutions across the country and runs until 21 October. During the 14 days of competition, the athletes will compete in various sports, including cheerleading.
The competitions will take place at various venues in the city, such as Expoville, the Centreventos Cau Hansen, the Ivo Varella Training Centre, the Mário Timm Municipal Sports Gymnasium, the Abel Schulz Gymnasium, Univille, the Tupy Athletic Association and the Joinville Tennis Club.
