The Olympic players behind team from Argentina

Argentinian teams are rare in the Partille Cup. But this summer, Team Brutus is coming - with two Olympians as leaders.

Team Brutus will have two great national team players in their leaders team: Gabriela Bitolo from Brazil and Gaston Mourino from Argentina. The couple played in the latest Olympics for their countries. Now they want to help handball grow as a sport in Latin America.

Gabriela, can you tell us a bit about Team Brutus? What kind of team is it and where is it from?
– Our team has started with one main purpose, to increase the handball in Latin America. It's part of our mission as professional athletes, once knowing the reality of the sport in our countries. We want to offer this opportunity for this young group, providing them a 100 percent handball atmosphere and give them a possibility to make connections with other cultures, as well as give them a moment which could change their life. In our team you can find players from different provinces of Argentina. Also we will have a goalkeeper from Mexico, says Gabriela Bitolo.

How come you and your boyfriend Gaston are leaders for the team?
– We invited a professional coach, she's called Ailin and also from Argentina. She will lead the team together with Gaston. They will be the coaches for this year. I will be in the background as team manager. Our mission is not just focused on Brazil and Argentina, but in whole Latin America, so I can answer you that even with no Brazilian in our group, I'm so motivated and excited about this project.

What do you like about coaching youngsters?
– We like the opportunity to offer them something that we would love to have as young players.

Which category will you participate in and what do you think about the Partille Cup and Gothenburg as a city? Have you played the Partille Cup yourself?
– We will participate in the Boys 18 category. The Partille Cup was a turning point in my career. I will definitely give it a 10 as a tournament because of the environment, the experience and all the histories that I take with me. Gothenburg is a really cool city, I have a lot of good memories of this city. I had the opportunity to play the Partille Cup twice. I finished in second place in 2015 with EC Pinheiros G21 team.

Both you and Gaston Mourino played in the Olympics in Tokyo. What was that experience like?
– It was the best moment that a professional player could have. It really showed us that hard work give us many opportunities. And for us it was even more special because we had this experience together.

You’re still very young, 23 years old. What are your biggest goals for the future?
– We keep working on our goals daily, and to share a bit with you, a goal that we have in our list is the next Olympic Games in Paris, says Gabriela Bitolo.

Warm welcome to the Partille Cup, Team Brutus!