Whether you are fans of Brazilian volleyball national team or not, the name Fabiana de Oliveira, or more popularly known as “Fabi” should not be strange to you. Known as one of the world’s top liberos, Fabi has announced her retirement after the end of the Brazilian Superliga season, putting a full stop to her 20-year of wonderful career as a professional volleyball player.
The 38 year-old legend has made a humble remark regarding her retirement. “It is a difficult decision that has been maturing for some time. I followed the farewells of Dante and Andre Nascimento (Brazilian National Men’s Team) , two players who have inspired me, but my own decision had already been made. I am happy because for 20 years I did what I like the most in life, which is to play volleyball. I could have never imagined that I would come this far. After many victories and defeats, my feeling is that of duty fulfilled. Volleyball gave me a life opportunity to become a better person. It is a privilege to do the sport and to live the sport. I hope that whoever saw me on the court saw a lot of dedication and love for what I do.”
In addition to the Olympic gold medals from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 as the highlights of Fabi’s national team career, the Brazilian standout also claimed silver medals from the FIVB Volleyball World Championships in 2006 and 2010 and the FIVB Volleyball World Cup in 2007, as well as two gold and one silver medals from the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup and five gold and three silver medals from the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix. With her club from Rio de Janerio, Fabi won two silver medals at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championships, the most recent one from the latest edition in 2017.
Let’s revisit Fabi’s her impeccable performance in defense over the years again:
Source and Photo: FIVB
