November 25, 2022

10:11

Ívina Garcia – from Amazon Agency

MANAUS – Richarlison de Andrade, nicknamed “Pombo” (Pigeon in english), was highlighted during the first match of the Brazilian National Team against Serbia, in Lusail stadium, in the Qatar World Cup. With two goals scored, the centre forward is known for his activism in favour of science and social causes. He was one of the donors of oxygen to the capital of Amazonas, in 2021, in the second wave of Covid-19.

At 25 years old, the “Pombo” left Fluminense five years ago and plays for Tottenham, one of the big clubs in London, England. Being a high-performance player, Richarlison was called in 2018 for the Brazilian national team. In 2017, he played for the U-20 team in the South American Championship in Ecuador, scoring two goals.

In social causes, Richarlison is known for his firm and engaged stance with minorities. “When there’s an important cause, I’ll always show my face, even more so playing for the national team and in England. I have that visibility and I know the authorities will look kindly on it”, he said during a press conference for the national team later in 2020.

Over the past few years, the athlete has positioned himself against cases of violence against black people, as in the cases of the boy Joao Pedro, 14, killed in police operation in RJ; the musician Evaldo Rosa, killed by 80 shots from Army soldiers; and the aggression of João Alberto, by Carrefour security guards.

“It seems that we have no way out… Not even on Black Consciousness Day. By the way, what conscience? They killed a black man beaten in front of the cameras. They beat him and filmed him. Violence and hatred have lost all shame and shame. George Floyd, João Pedro, Evaldo Santos were in vain?”, he wrote on Twitter.

Help for Amazonas

The player is an active supporter of science and even opened a fund to help with research on Covid at the University of São Paulo (USP). “This time of confinement made me understand that there is another game in dispute, and I decided to escalate”, he wrote in a publication where he announced he was an ambassador for Usp Vida in the fight against Covid-19.

In 2021, during the second wave of the pandemic, the shirt 9 of the National Team also helped Manaus during the oxygen crisis, donating ten cylinders for emergency units in the city. According to the investigation of the Federal Public Ministry, at least 60 people died for lack of oxygen.

Richarlison also used social networks to warn about the disappearance, at the time, of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips, in Javari Valley, West of Amazonas. On Twitter, the player shared a video of Dom’s wife asking for more speed in the investigations. Weeks later the death of both was confirmed by the Federal Police and four people were arrested for involvement in the case.