In a September version of the prestigious IPC Allianz Best performance of the month award, Brazil’s BC3 boccia team comprised of Evelyn de Oliveira, Antonio Leme and Evani Soares da Silva, won the public votes to have the honors for their performances at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The Brazilian team sit with Iranians Sareh Javanmardidomani & Siamand Rahman who won the awards for the month of September, already, in the individual categories, Best Male Athlete and Best Female Athlete, for their performances in Paralympic Shooting and Powerlifting.
Team with Evelyn de Oliveira, Antonio Leme and Evani Soares da Silva as members beat the Olympic title favourites and world No. 1 South Korea at the Rio 2016 Summer Games last month. The team which lost to South Korea in the early rounds bring together an inspired comeback to win 5-2 in the finals.
For their performances at this year’s Paralympics, the team won 55 percent of the public votes. There was no competition as the number 2 and 3, the Australian Wheelchair Rugby team (16 per cent) and the US Women’s Sitting Volleyball team (15 per cent) were way behind the Brazilians in the votes. Other teams nominated were, Brazil’s football 5-a-side, the Turkish women’s goalball and the Chinese women’s 4x100m relay T11-13.
Just to recognise the efforts of athletes and teams participating at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the September award was extended to three categories, Allianz Best Team, Best Male Athlete and Best Female Athlete of September (or Rio 2016).