Loading ...News - Brazil President calls on IOC to recognize Rio
“The Olympic Games cannot be kept by the rich countries,” Silva said ahead of presentations to IOC members this week. “The IOC must see the Olympics as the chance to transform Brazilian society.”
Rio is competing against Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. The IOC will decide the host city at a vote in October.
“Brazil is among the 10 biggest economies in the world and it is the only one of the 10 which has never organized the Olympics,” Silva said through a translator. “Europe has already organized too many Olympics. There is no novelty in Europe.
“Can you imagine the possibility for a continent which has never had the chance to organize an Olympics, and how much that can motivate people?”
Silva said the Brazilian people were behind Rio’s bid, which was “fully organized and highly motivated.”
Rio’s budget has been estimated at $14.4 billion — $2.8 billion for the organizing committee and $11.6 billion for infrastructure projects such as venues, transport links and accommodation.
Silva said the bid was guaranteed by federal, state and city governments and should be counted as investment rather than spending.
“To organize an Olympic Games is an extraordinary incentive to invest,” he said. “We are preparing Brazil regardless of the Olympic Games. We are working to recoup all the delays Brazil has had in its development.”
Bid organizers say much of Rio’s infrastructure is scheduled to be completed by 2014. The city is one of 12 venues hosting football’s World Cup in Brazil.
The timing of the 2016 vote — on Oct. 2 at the IOC Session in Copenhagen — is also in Rio’s favor, the president said.
“Brazil is better prepared to come out of the economic crisis than the United States, Spain or Japan,” Silva said. “I don’t want to speak badly of Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. I want to convince them that Brazil can do better than them.”
Rio and its three rivals will put their cases direct to IOC members this week in Lausanne, Switzerland.
At least 94 out of 107 members are scheduled to attend formal presentations Wednesday and private meetings on Thursday in what is effectively a trial run for Copenhagen.
Silva is expected to attend the Oct. 2 vote, while Chicago bid leaders hope U.S. President Barack Obama will also be present to support his home city.
Source: USATODAY
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