The Gilberto Cardoso Gymnasium, popularly known as Maracanãzinho, was inaugurated in 1954, at the Maracanã Complex. With capacity for 13,614 people, it featured a multi-use court for Volleyball, Basketball, Handball and Indoor Football. The gymnasium was named after Clube de Regatas do Flamengo ex-president Gilberto Cardoso, who died after watching a thrilling Basketball final match in which his team won the championship.

The gymnasium hosted many an international sport event, such as the Basketball Men’s World Championship in 1963, when the Brazilian National Squad beat Yugoslavia 90-71, and the Volleyball Men’s World Championship in 1990.

In 1982, Maracanãzinho was the stage for the first Volleyball Mundialito, in which Brazilian player Bernard Rajzman became famous for performing for the first time his later trademark service known as “Star Trek”, contributing to beat the powerful Soviet Squad, 3-2.

In June 27th, 2007, Bernard repeated the feat during the gymnasium’s reinauguration party, after going under a total rework.

In October 2003 the gymnasium was closed in order to undergo the necessary adaptations to host Men’s and Women’s Volleyball matches at the Pan-American Games in July 2007 at a total cost of R$ 97 million. It was reopened on June 30th of the same year, featuring a Women’s Volleyball in which Brazil beat Serbia 3-1.

Today, the gymnasium occupies an 11,198 m² area, with 11,800 seats. Its four-sided scoreboard, imported from China, offers a 360° vision, and the central air-conditioning system has a cooling capacity of 1,750 tons. Even so, the gymnasium features natural ventilation and illumination provided by the steel and polycarbonate dome at the ceiling.

The School of Physical Education of the Army (EsEFEx) is the educational establishment of the Brazilian Army related to intermediary and superior studies, specialization and to the Military War Study. It is a direct subordinate of the Directorship of Research and Personnel Studies (Diretoria de Pesquisa e Estudos de Pessoal – DPEP) and its purpose is to specialize officials in Physical Education and Sports and in Fencing; to specialize doctors in Sports Medicine; to specialize sergeants as Physical Education monitors; to cooperate and perform researches in the Physical Education and Sports field, including the scope of school education with the purpose of Army application. In addition, it supports the superior echelon in the promotion and realization of national and international competitions, in the training of the Army and Armed Forces teams and acts as an advisor on Physical Education and Sports matters.

This school served as the cradle of Physical Education in Brazil. Its origin goes back to 1919, when a group of Military School of Rio de Janeiro cadets and officials started to provide the systematization of physical exercises in military and civil scopes.

The EsEFEx was created in January 10th, 1922, as an annex to the Sergeant School of Infantry, which currently hosts the School Regiment of Infantry under the name of Military Centre of Physical Education.

Ten officials, 28 sergeants and 20 teachers of the then-Federal District (known today as City of Rio de Janeiro) were chosen to form the group which became the FIRST PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS TO GRADUATE IN BRAZIL.

Photo Gallery - EsEFEx
Rio de Janeiro foundation place		Leite de Castro Gymnasium (Training)		Leite de Castro Gymnasium (Training)		Ling Gymnasium (Training)
Ling Gymnasium (Training)		Rio de Janeiro foundation mark		Ceremonial Place

EsEFEx website: http://www.esefex.ensino.eb.br/