I first got involved in athletics in 1970 in Manaus, the city where I was born and where I have lived all my life – when I was elected President of the Law School Sports Association of the University of Amazonas. At that time, athletics was virtually non-existent in the Amazon region, where I was one of the pioneers of organised track and field, founding the Amazon Athletics Federation at home in 1971.

Were/are you an active sportsman?

When I was younger, I used to play football for fun, as it is often the case for us Brazilians, and also table tennis. In the latter, I was University champion in the Amazon area and represented the region in sanctioned national competitions. Nowadays, I enjoy walking and have started to make exercises on a regular basis.

Have you been involved in sport in a different way - as a coach or official for example?

When I was a student, I headed the Law and Philosophy Schools Sports Associations before becoming the President of the Amazon State Federations of Volleyball, table tennis, basketball and athletics.

At governmental level, I was Secretary of Sports of the Amazon State for 13 years and a member of the Regional Council of Sports for 11 years.

During my administration, the "Manaus Olympic Village" was built. It comprises a huge Sports Centre with track stadium, three swimming polls, four indoor gymnasiums, a kart race track, weight lifting room, administration buildings, medical and physiotherapeutic departments, hotel for 300 people and restaurant with industrial kitchen.

On a national scale, I was Vice President of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation for 9 years, and I am currently President of the Brazilian Athletic Confederation (first elected in 1987 and recently re-elected until 2005) and Member of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

At international level, I am an IAAF Council Member, as Area Group Representative, since 1991 and President of the South American Athletic Confederation since 1993.

Your whole career is centred on sport, do you intend for this to continue?

I want my sporting career to continue as long as I can benefit from the trust and friendship of my colleagues in Brazil and South America. Without their help and solid team-work, it would impossible to be successful.

What do you personally gain from athletics in particular?

I am not paid for my activities and functions in sport administration in Brazil. I therefore have my own business and real estate business.

On the other hand, the sport has given me much in terms of making new friends and the opportunity to travel around the world. It is important also to stress the invaluable knowledge I acquire from all the meetings and Congresses I have to attend and the possibility to assist top events such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships. But, above all, the daily co-existence with young sportsmen and sportswomen gives me the necessary strength to continuously face new challenges

What are your hobbies and interests?

I am fundamentally a collector. My main interests are pens and Olympic Games related objects, like winners’ medals, participation medals, badges, coins, stamps, postal history, postcards, cash cards, telephone cards, official reports, books, programmes, posters and diplomas.

In this field, I am a member of the IOC Collectors Commission.

Do you have children? And if so, do you encourage them to practise sport?

I have five children who are the best partners in my life: Hélio (a lawyer and General Secretary of CONSULDATE), Paulo (a nutritionist), André (an administrator), Arthur (a student and athlete) and Maria Helena (a student). All of them, in one way or another, practise sport.

How important is athletics within the Brazil sports' scene? What are the prospects for the future?

Brazilian Athletics in the year 2000 is poised for a new era of development. It is the sport that has obtained the highest number of medals for the country at the Olympic and Pan American Games, but it has never received the deserved recognition in Brazil as my countrymen are mainly interested in soccer.

Our financial situation is starting to change thanks to the recent partnership contracts signed between the CBAt and Globo Television for the next five years, and between the Manaus High Level Training Centre and Coca-Cola, in addition to a previous contract with Xerox.

And what about South America as a whole? How would you summarise the current situation and the future?

Of all my functions within sports administration, I am proudest about being President of the South Amerisan Athletic Confederation: CONSULDATE. Today, without exception, the Presidents of the 13 member federations are of a particularly high level and we work together in a climate of unity and friendship. These are our defining characteristics.

Nowadays, our Area Association organises competitions at every level: senior (since 1919), junior, youth (we were pioneers in this kind of event, cross country, race walking, marathon, mountain race, 10 miles and road mile championships, and a grand prix series in track and field, road races and half marathons.

We have an active IAAF RDC (Regional Development Centre) in Santa Fe, Argentina under the leadership of Professor Juan Alberto Scarpin. We have experience in successfully organising great events such as two World Championships, the most recent being the IAAF Amazon Government World Road Relay Championships in Manaus in 1998, and we are about to stage the most important of all, the World Junior Championships in Santiago, with the help of an efficient local organising committee. At the last edition of the World Championships in Seville, we obtained our best achievement in terms of participation and South American athletes brought home three silver medals.

Thanks to the constant hard work and dedication of the member federations, I believe that we will improve very much in the near future.

Interview published in the IAAF Newsletter, Issue 39, March 2000.