Athlete discovered at the Mato Alto Olympic Village wins the South American Under-17 Women's Football Championship with Brazil.

The passion for football of the South American champion in the under-17 category, Isa Kotait, began early, at the Vila Olímpica do Mato Alto, which honors Professor Manoel José Gomes Tubino. Encouraged by her mother, Rachel Serra, a teacher at the facility, the athlete started playing sports at the age of 6 and, on the 9th of this month, won the category title with the Brazilian national team, after a 3-2 victory over Argentina in Paraguay. The team also qualified for the Under-17 World Cup, which will be held in Morocco between October 17th and November 7th, 2026.

"I am very happy to see an athlete who began her sporting career at the Olympic Village achieving great results. This shows the importance of the work that has been done and reinforces our commitment to sport," says the Municipal Secretary of Sports, Bruno Ramos.

At the Vila Olímpica do Mato Alto, linked to the Municipal Sports Secretariat, Isa had her first contact with different sports at the age of 6. She took classes in soccer, futsal, athletics, and swimming. It was there that she participated in her first competitions and, even as a child, she showed signs of her talent.

 

In 2022, she was selected in a Flamengo tryout and began to dedicate herself more to football. To supplement the days when she didn't have training with the team, Isa started taking footvolley lessons in 2024 at another Olympic Village, Dias Gomes, in Deodoro, where her mother Rachel also works. Her first call-up to the Brazilian national team happened at the end of last year, and the South American Championship marked the right-back's debut in an official competition for Brazil.

"I made my debut for the national team in this competition, in the game against Peru, and being able to win the title was something inexplicable. My mother, who always encouraged me, was there. It was very emotional to remember that it all started with her there in the Olympic Village; so much goes through your head. My passion for sports started there. I really liked athletics and football, but there came an age when I needed to choose, and I managed to find myself in football. I hope one day I can represent the country in the World Cup," said Isa.

Rachel closely followed her daughter's entire development in the sport and recalls that the encouragement began in childhood, within the Olympic Village.

— This year's Mother's Day has a special flavor with the title and qualification for the World Championship in Morocco. As a physical education teacher, I see that sport can lead to unimaginable places. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. Sport opened doors for me, and I wanted my children to experience that too. I always encouraged her and believed in her potential to be an athlete. Seeing my daughter on the national team and with this trajectory is a feeling of accomplishment. Maximum pride — she celebrated.

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15 May 2026

Appointments: women's football South American Under-17 Football Championship Mato Alto Olympic Village Olympic Village Professor Manoel José Gomes Tubino