Olympic and Paralympic Games 2016
By Danielle Marinho | Photos Portal da Copa
The host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games was chosen in October in Copenhagen, Denmark. The awarding announcement was made by IOC President Jacques Rogge and Rio de Janeiro, well known as a marvelous city, will welcome the biggest sports event in the world, staged for the first time in South America.
This designation changed not only the life of thousands of sports fans around the world, but the life of thousands of Brazilians too. Rio de Janeiro has many attractions, places to visit, good restaurants, gorgeous weather and hospitable people to host athletes and fans from all over the world. Rio’s victory in the bidding process marks the beginning of a journey that could lead to big opportunities and challenges for Rio.
Maracana, Brazil
Infrastructure
The Olympic Games will take place from the 5th to the 21st of August, 2016, and the Paralympics Games will be from the 7th to 18th of September in the same year. The opening ceremony and the closing event of Rio 2016 will be held at Maracanã Stadium. Two new sports have been added since London 2012, making a total of 28 sports that will be played in Brazil. More than 10,500 athletes from approximately 205 nations around the world are expected to compete in the Games.
According to the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016™, the infrastructure developments needed to prepare for the Games are huge. There will be more than 100,000 people directly involved in the organization of the Games, including 70,000 volunteers. But you may be asking why Brazil, why was Rio chosen to be the host of the Olympic Games? Discover Brazil Magazine asked the organizing committee: “In fact, the country today has a strong economy. In addition, Rio de Janeiro delivered a solid technical proposal, with world-class facilities and high international standards, as well as a consistent legacy project. The International Olympic Committee saw in Rio’s project, a great potential for developing the Olympic movement in the country and in South America.” In other words, Brazil is becoming a reality and not just a potential, showing the world that it can reign not only in carnival, soccer and beaches. Increasingly, Brazil is being recognized for the financial and political changes that have been happening over the past few years.
Social & Economic development
“The staging of the Games is, without a doubt, a catalyst for progress in the city and the country; it drives the economy, creates jobs in many sectors and is a unique opportunity for social and economic development. The expectation is that the Games will increase considerably the number of tourists in the country. Embratur’s data shows a projected growth from 5.7 million tourists (in 2012) to 10 million in 2020, four years after the Games, as has happened in other cities that have hosted the Olympics,” says the Organizing Committee. Embratur, also known as the Brazilian Tourist Board is a federal and state-owned agency that reports to the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, and was formed in 1966, to work exclusively on promoting, marketing and supporting the trade of services, products and tourist destinations of Brazil abroad. According to the Committee, the expenses could be higher if the Games weren’t non-profitable.
Investment for the Games comes mainly from two budgets: the budget for the Organizing Games Committee (COJO budget) and The budget for the three levels of government, federal, state and municipal (non-COJO budget). The COJO budget covers costs dedicated to planning and operating, including the assembling of temporary facilities and support structures at all Games venues (overlay). The value will be $ 5.6 billion. The non-COJO budget refers to the investment of public and private capital for the construction of new sports facilities and infrastructure such as the renovation of airports, transportation systems and other assignments of the three levels of government. This budget is responsible for the long-term legacy of the Olympic Games. The value will be $ 23.2 billion. These figures date back to 2008 and will be adjusted, said the organizers.
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More info at www.rio2016.com
