By Rubin E. Grant
Kyle Oliveira was sitting at the dinner table in early March when seemingly out of the blue his dad, Kaliffa Oliveira, asked him how he would feel about taking a trip to Brazil.
Kyle Oliveira’s immediate reaction was he had school and spring break was still a couple of weeks away, but of course he would like to go to Brazil, where Kaliffa Oliveira was born and still has relatives, including his mother.
Kaliffa Oliveira explained that it wasn’t a trip just to see relatives, but for Kyle Oliveira to compete in the Brazilian Wrestling Nationals at the request of Brazil’s national team.
“I was shocked,” said Kyle Oliveira, a 16-year-old sophomore wrestler at Spain Park High School. “It was very short notice, but I said sure.”
Kaliffa Oliveira said he had reached out to the Brazilian national team because of his daughter Yasmine Oliveira, who also wrestled for Spain Park. A senior this year, she won the 147-pound title during the 2022 Girls State Tournament and finished the season undefeated with a 21-0 record.
“Since she’s going to college to wrestle, I thought it would be good for her to compete for Brazil,” said Kaliffa Oliveira, who owns Gracie Barra Alabama gyms in Pelham and in Greystone and teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo and Muay Thai kickboxing.
“I had completed the registration for her and they asked me about Kyle,’ he added. “It was just three days’ notice. I got an email that they could get him in and I went online to check on airline tickets. They were cheaper than normal, so I booked a flight that day.”
Kyle Oliveira and his dad flew to Brazil the third week of March and it turned into a worthwhile trip. Despite being out-weighed by 40 to 45 pounds, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kyle Oliveira won double gold, capturing championships in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling while going undefeated in seven matches.
“It was a really big deal,” Kyle Oliveira said. “They gave me the opportunity and I was able to take advantage of it.
“I just relied on my technique and fast movement, and I got great coaching from Shad Rissler and Matt Morey while training at Warrior Wrestling Club.”
Of course, Kaliffa Oliveira was ecstatic.
“I was on the Brazilian national judo team, so it’s been a dream for my kids to compete for Brazil,” Kaliffa Oliveira said. “I’m very proud.”
Kyle Oliveira’s performance came in front of one very interested spectator, his grandmother.
“I hadn’t seen her in four years,” Kaliffa Oliveira said of his mother, “so it was great to see her. It was her first time watching her grandson compete, so it was very special.”
The double gold means Kyle Oliveira will represent the Brazilian National Cadet team (U17) in the United World Wrestling Pan-American Championships June 24-26 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Kyle Oliveira posted a 25-14 record with 17 pins in the 195-pound weight class for Spain Park during the 2021-2022 season. He will leave in early June to train for the Pan-Am championships.
“It would be amazing if I could win,” Kyle Oliveira said. “I’ll have an opportunity for colleges to notice me and it would give me a great amount of recognition. I want to compete at the world level, in the Olympics and World Games.”
Daughter Headed to Brazil
Yasmine Oliveira is headed to Brazil on April 28 and will compete on May 1, trying to earn a spot on the Brazilian U20 women’s wrestling team for the United World Wrestling Pan-American Junior Championships July 8-10 in Oaxtepec, Mexico.
“It’s going to be pretty tough for her to make the team,” Kaliffa Oliveira said. “They have a couple of girls who compete internationally. Yasmine will have her hands full, but I think she can make it.”
Kyle Oliveira will be rooting heartily for his sister.
“It would be so cool if she made the team,” Kyle Oliveira said. “We train together. She’s a pretty good partner.”