Pato ready to fight for Olympic berth

Rio de Janeiro, July 13 (IANS) AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato says he is ready to fight for his spot in Brazil's Olympic team.

The 22-year-old will be vying with Internacional's Leandro Damiao as the sole centre-forward in Mano Menezes' first-choice team, reports Xinhua.

He revealed that an undisclosed illness suffered when he was 10 had prepared him for the battles he now faces in football.

"When I get injured or I'm faced with a challenge I think about what I went through. It helps me to overcome my difficulties," Pato said during a press conference in Rio, where Brazil's squad has gathered for a pre-OIympic training camp.

Pato said he was over the injury problems which had restricted him to only 17 first-team appearances in all competitions for Milan last season.