Dantas and the folks from Nova União / Photo: publicity
The Phoenix Open, an IBJJF tournament set for April 30, promises to be something special. But for one team, at least, it may be much more than that. It may pan out to be the crowning achievement of Gustavo Dantas, the head of team Nova União in the region.
“Nova União hasn’t yet won an International Open. In 2010, we took a good group from Arizona to the Vegas Open and took second, and in 2011, Bruno Bastos led the team that took second at the Houston Open, but now we’re going in full blast,” says Gustavo Dantas, our GMA in Arizona. The goal for the Phoenix Open is top spot.
“Nova União will fight to get its first IBJJF Open team title. Arizona state has the largest concentration of Nova União competitors in the United States, followed by Texas. Over there the team is getting ready for May’s Dallas Open,” added the black belt, who is also the president of NU USA.
“My work as team president in the USA is to organize the team and try to put it at the top of the podium at all the IBJJF tournaments possible. I had the honor of helping Nova União win the World Championship as a team in 1997, when I was an athlete, and now I want to help it return to the top, as a teacher. I know it’s a tough task, but if we’ve done it before, we can do it again. Anyone who shows up or keeps up via GRACIEMAG will see the Nova União fire pot!” he said with a laugh.
His opponents had better not be laughing, though.
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