To celebrate the project's expansion, Esporte Futuro invited three athletes who participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to visit the NGOs and learn about their work firsthand.
The guests were Caio Bonfim (silver medalist in Race Walking), Ana Sátila (finalist in Canoe Slalom K1 and C1), and Edival Pontes "Netinho" (bronze medalist in Taekwondo), who participated in the visits at the end of November.
After visiting the NGOs ACER, Gol de Letra, and Associação Acorde in Greater São Paulo, Caio Bonfim shared his excitement about seeing the projects: "These are organizations where you can clearly see the impact they are making in society, and you want to be part of that somehow. When I received my Olympic medal, I thought about setting short-, medium-, and long-term goals."
"My short-term goal was this: to inspire somehow, to leave a legacy. It's been an amazing experience. To truly live sports, you need to be humble. Today, I am a medalist, but in the next competitions, I will still need to keep pushing forward," he added.
Netinho visited Fortaleza to meet the Esporte Mais NGO and said: "I always get emotional when I come to an underprivileged neighborhood because it reminds me of when I started. I always wanted to meet an Olympic medalist, and that moment only came when I was 15, when I met Natália Falavigna. That moment was so important to me because I thought she didn't even exist in real life, only on TV."
"So I know that being here today is showing these young people that it’s possible, it’s making them believe they can. The earlier they come into contact with the project, with an athlete or an Olympic medalist, the better to encourage them. The sooner they start, the better," Netinho said.
Canoeist Ana Sátila also expressed her joy in participating in the actions promoted by Esporte Futuro: "I was very happy with these visits. Being with the people from these institutions, hearing their stories, their curiosity, and sharing a bit of my experience was transformative. I think our role in society is to contribute, whether with presence, motivational words, or opening doors for a better future."
"This project is about hope, dreams, and opportunities. I intend to return, experience more moments like these, and continue being a part of it. It was a huge pleasure," said the athlete, who visited two NGOs in Rio de Janeiro, Bola pra Frente and Abraço Campeão.
Transforming communities through sports
This year, Esporte Futuro announced support for eight projects developed by six NGOs. Each NGO has a unique approach to promoting the development of its participants.
Three of the selected NGOs are part of the Lupa do Bem network, an online platform that brings visibility to social initiatives and organizations in Latin America through interviews and journalistic articles.
"It was a great joy to provide the audiences served by these social projects the opportunity to interact directly with Brazilian Olympic athletes who stood out in the Paris Games this year. Betfair strongly believes that part of a company’s role is to give back to society a portion of its profits through corporate social responsibility initiatives," said Sue Hammett, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Flutter.
"We already do this in other countries where we operate, and in 2023 it was time to start this work in Brazil. Our intention is to keep Esporte Futuro active and expand its reach in the coming years," added the executive.
The NGOs selected to receive Esporte Futuro funds in 2024 and visited by Olympic athletes include:
* Bola pra Frente, in Rio de Janeiro, combines sports practices with educational guidance and family values. Operating for 24 years in socially vulnerable communities in the northern part of the city, the organization served 500 people in 2024 through its Cruzamento Perfeito program, which promotes sports and culture, stimulating development and the acquisition of skills and competencies through learning cycles based on age groups.
* Abraço Campeão, in Rio de Janeiro, works with children and young people through activities such as boxing and martial arts, educational reinforcement cycles, mentoring, and assistance support, as well as leadership development. More than 3,000 lives have been impacted, with about 300 children and young people served weekly.
* Instituto Esporte Mais, in Fortaleza, has been operating for 10 years and benefits 1,500 children and adolescents annually. The organization stands out for its work in empowering girls and women through sports. One of its projects encourages women's soccer, benefiting 200 people. Another initiative, Lutas pela Igualdade, serves 160 children and young people aged 6 to 19 in two cities in Ceará, promoting peace culture and access to martial arts.
Associação Acorde, in São Paulo, has been working with sports and cultural workshops for 23 years to ensure safe spaces for young people. The organization has positively impacted 3,519 children and adolescents, along with 660 families that have developed in partnership with its programs. These socio-educational initiatives encompass cultural and sports development, quality education, healthy eating, and more.
ACER Brasil, in São Paulo, was founded with the goal of offering an effective recovery path for street children. Thirty years later, its mission remains the same, promoting human and community development through various socio-educational and sports-related activities to encourage youth leadership. Classes in soccer, boxing, karate, and athletics are provided, always focusing on inclusion and social development.
Gol de Letra, in São Paulo, aims to contribute to the education of children and young people from socially vulnerable communities, using sports as a tool for social transformation. The Jogo Aberto Program is one of its projects, integrating sports culture with comprehensive education. Through this program, children can experience different sports and receive psychosocial support. Additionally, 20 young members of the community are trained to become mentors, thereby multiplying the knowledge they acquire and strengthening the network's work.
Cumulative social investment exceeds R$1 million (US$165,000)
Created in partnership with the international organization GlobalGiving, Esporte Futuro has allocated R$1.4 million (US$ 230,000) to 12 Brazilian initiatives in its two years of operation, impacting over 3,000 lives in 2023 alone. The project is part of Flutter Entertainment’s social responsibility actions, the parent company of Betfair, and seeks to leverage sports as a tool for inclusion and social change in Brazil.
Betfair
One of the world’s largest online sports betting providers, Betfair is an official sponsor of the Cruzeiro and Vasco da Gama football teams.
Founded in London, UK, in 2000, the company pioneered peer-to-peer betting (Betfair Exchange) and offers a comprehensive range of sports betting, entertainment events, and online gaming products to over four million customers worldwide aged 18 and above.
Thanks to its cutting-edge technology, the platform provides an extensive product catalog that allows users to bet with their own odds or those set by other users.
Betfair is licensed to operate online betting and other games in 19 countries, including Spain, Italy, Malta, and Great Britain. Play responsibly.
Esporte Futuro
Launched in 2023, Esporte Futuro is a non-profit charity project created through a partnership between Betfair and GlobalGiving. Over two years, the initiative has donated R$1.4 million (US$ 230,000) to 12 social initiatives across Brazil.
Aiming to improve local communities throughout Brazil, the project primarily supports associations that work with sports, which Betfair believes can inspire imagination, activate the body, ignite passion, and expand minds.
In addition to supporting projects that improve health and well-being through sports, Esporte Futuro plans to increase its support for initiatives that leverage technology for good. The project’s goal is to become driven by the Brazilian Betfair community, with members regularly contributing insights to guide future decisions.
Esporte Futuro exemplifies Flutter's commitment to Fazer Mais for its communities as part of its global sustainability strategy, the Positive Impact Plan.
The goal of Doing More is to improve the lives of 10 million people by 2030, made possible by Flutter's scale and the collective passion of its employees.
GlobalGiving
GlobalGiving enables individuals and companies to support local projects anywhere in the world, providing non-profit organizations with the financial resources, tools, and training they need to make the world a better place.
Source: GMB
