The 1910s and 1920s: The Beginning The first team sport to take part in the Olympic Games of the Modern Era, water polo started being practiced in Rio de Janeiro in the beginning of the 20th century, on the now extinct Santa Luzia Beach. Initially, the sport was practiced in the sea, in lakes or rivers, and soon Botafogo Cove became one of the sport's practice spots, which gained its space in several clubs in the city, among them Botafogo. 1940s to 1960s: First titles In 1942, Botafogo won the Carioca Championship for the first time. However, the first official title in the modality was also the last achievement of Club de Regatas Botafogo before the merger with Botafogo Football Club. Still in the 1940s, the club would be champion three more times: in 1944, 1947, and 1949. After a title-less period in the 1950s, the black-and-whites would lift the trophy again in 1963, 1965, and 1966. 1980s and 1990s: National success In the early 1980s, Botafogo was state champion in 1980, 1982 and 1983, a feat it would repeat in 1995 and 1996. Furthermore, this period marked the beginning of glories at the national level: The black-and-whites were twice champions of the Brazilian Championship in 1995 and 1996, at the time called the João Havelange Trophy. The 2000s and 2010s: The Beginning of Sovereignty In the 21st century, the club won the Carioca Championship in 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010. In the National League, a competition that replaced the João Havelange Trophy as the Brazilian Championship of the sport, Botafogo took the title in 2015, in addition to winning the Brazil Trophy in 2016. In 2009, with the emergence of the Olga Pinciroli Trophy, the team began to compete in women's tournaments as well. In all, the club collects three bronze medals and a runner-up finish in the competition. In 2014, it drew attention to the sport by signing the American Brenda Villa, a four-time Olympic medalist, and three-time world champion, and voted the best player in the world in the 2000s. In 2016, the men's team won the first edition of the South American Club League, which also yielded the National Super League title. At the Olympic Games, the Brazilian National Team included six athletes from the club, finishing the competition in 8th place. The following year, Botafogo won the South American Club Championship. Rowing Based at one