GIBA: The Brazilian volleyball player

volley ball super star

giba

This superstar’s full name is Gilberto Amaury de Godoy Filho, but he is much better known as Giba.

Giba is the best known player in one of the greatest volleyball teams ever, Brazilian men’s volleyball team from this decade. Giba may be the best player in Brazilian superb volleyball team and is a superstar among volleyball fans all over the world.

Giba is not only an excellent professional volleyball player, but also has passion, energy and charisma which make him lovable by the volleyball fans – and the power to inspire the whole Brazilian team to play its best.

The high-strung Giba, an outside hitter, was the team’s leading scorer at the 2007 World Cup, with 127 points (14th overall). An omnipresent figure on the court with his his sweat-soaked hair plastered to his head, he plays with great emotion and flair, and for a big man, has exceptionally quick feet. The MVP of his first international tournament — the 1993 World Youth championships — Giba played in his first World League tournament in 1997, and was a member of the Brazilian team that placed fourth at the 1998 Worlds.

He played his first Olympic Games in Athens 2004. Athens was a special defining moment in Giba’s life; Brazil won the Olympic Gold Medal and during the Olympics Giba’s first daughter, Nicole was born.

Giba has been crowned the Most Valuable Player in 2004 Olympic Games, 2006 World League and 2006 World Championships.

For the 2007-2008 season Giba signed a 3-year contract to play professional volleyball in Russia after playing several club volleyball seasons in Brazil and Italy. He represents Iskra Odintsovo, a club team in small Odintsovo town near Moscow.

At age 11, Giba endured a severe injury to his left arm that required 150 stitches. He recovered and started playing volleyball the next year. He also played soccer and basketball when he was younger, but always liked volleyball best. Giba, who’s married to his wife, Pirv, thinks he will retire after Beijing.

Giba is arguably the most recognized volleyball player among the fans all over the world. Giba and his superb Brazilian men’s national team have virtually won everything since year 2001. His charisma and energy combined with the finest volleyball skills make him likable player everywhere.

Giba is a fairly short outside hitter (192 cm, 6'4) in today’s volleyball, but replaces the missing reach with great skills and leadership which have contributed to make the Brazilian National Team of 2000's one of the best volleyball teams teams ever.

Read more about Giba down below under "Professional Volleyball Players."

PLAYER PROFILE Gilberta Godoy Filho 'Giba'   Gilberto Godoy Filho or 'Giba' as he is affectionately known on the Volleyball world circuit, is the jewel in Brazil'svolleyball crown - their men's national team and no other player can better illustrate the passion, exuberance and flair with which Brazilian players and their lively supporters devote to the sport, second only to football for the green and golds. The highly strung Giba, his hair in wet ribbons of perspiration and his sleeves bunched high on his shoulders is an omnipresent figure on the court for Brazil as he crouches like a panther ready for the opposition's attack. And although he is supported by a stunning collection of talent in the side, the much adored 26-year-old "Giba" has frequently been a key ingredient in Bernardhino Rezende's team's recent triumphs - the World League title 2001, and 2003 the World Championship in 2002 and the World Cup in 2003. This wing-spiker par excellence is not only an outstanding player, but also has the power and charisma to ignite and inspire the star-studded Brazilian team, ranked number one in the world. Despite his lanky 1.92m, Giba is exceptionally fleet-footed and he brings the kind of boundless joy to the game that makes him admired on and off the court all around the world. His international debut, at the Youth World Championship in 1993, was an indication of things to come as Brazil won the title and he finished as the Best Player and the Best Spiker of the tournament.

GIBA: The Brazilian volleyball player

Nowadays if you are a volleyball passionate, you may be a fan of Gilberto Godoy Filho, affectionately known as Giba in the volleyball world. The number one player of the world was expected to lead the Brazilian men´s team to repeat in Beijing´s Olympic Championship their Athens glory.

Born in a baker´s family in Londrina, Brazil in 1976, Giba passed through many adversities in his young years. He had leukemia when he was a baby and injured his arm badly in his childhood. The boy challenged the difficulties and showed great gift in volleyball.

Four years ago , a high Brazilian spirit won over the European champions, Italy, to complete a sweep of world championship, world league and the olympic games. Giba contributed 20 points for his team at the wonderful finale on olympic games in Athens. Brazilian coach Bernardo Resende has also shown great expectation to his captain: ´´Giba is the type of player that when it´s a big game, a big event, he´s always ready´´.

Despite the sad finale of the Olimpic games, because the men´s team was beaten, the people that are fans of volleyball have many reasons to love Giba. He has been doing his best.

Flávia
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Currently, he plays in Italy for Ferrara, together with his teammate Gustavo Endres.