Brazil

Brazil is in the midst of its worst recession in a generation. At the beginning of the year industry professionals predicted that its economy would shrink 2.95 per cent in 2016.

THE CHANGING NATURE of the sports media industry in Brazil is perhaps best exemplified by the recent developments surrounding the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the top tier of football in the country.

Brazil’s labour ministry has cited Rio 2016 over conditions for about 600 temporary workers brought in to make late repairs on accommodation for athletes, as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach sought to allay concerns over final preparations for the summer Games.

The turmoil of 2016 was difficult to envisage when Rio upset the odds to land hosting rights to this summer’s Olympic Games.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has today (Wednesday) rejected a plea from Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko to overturn its ban on athletes competing at the upcoming summer Olympic Games, as more International Federations (IFs) issued their verdicts on Russian eligibility.

International Judo Federation (IJF) president Marius Vizer has said the sport’s Russian team will be allowed to compete at the forthcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as International Federations (IFs) today continued to make their stances known on the subject.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected widespread calls to impose a complete ban on Russia from the forthcoming summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, instead electing to leave it to individual International Federations (IFs) to decide which athletes should be allowed to compete.

Rio de Janeiro’s Athletes Village for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been criticised by a number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs), with Australia stating it will keep athletes out of the site until at least Wednesday.

Brazilian authorities have arrested 10 people suspected of supporting Islamic State (IS) and discussing acts of terrorism during the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but have stated the group was “absolutely amateur” in its organisation.

Rio 2016 organisers have received a boost ahead of the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games with the news that the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has lifted the provisional suspension of the Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory in Rio de Janeiro.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board has today (Tuesday) commenced disciplinary action against officials named in the McLaren Investigation Report into widespread doping in Russian sport, adding it will “carefully evaluate” its legal options surrounding a blanket ban of Russian athletes for the 2016 Olympic Games as well as withdrawing backing for any sports event or meeting in the country under additional provisional measures.

The Brazilian government has outlined plans to increase security measures for the upcoming summer Olympics in the wake of last week’s terror attack in Nice, France, while Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman has suggested that the lack of prize money is the real reason behind the spate of withdrawals from the Games by leading male golfers.

Two venues which will be used to stage events during the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are to be investigated by state prosecutors after the means by which firms were hired to construct them were brought into question.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has said the withdrawal of the top men from the Olympic golf tournament at the 2016 summer Games in Rio de Janeiro will be taken into account when evaluating the sport’s future on the Olympic programme.

International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson has suggested that there has been an over-reaction to the Zika virus outbreak that has led to the sport’s top four golfers pulling out of the Rio 2016 summer Olympic Games.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro is reportedly running a deficit of between R$400m (€106.7m/$117.5m) and R$500m, while the city’s Mayor, Eduardo Paes, has conceded the multiple issues affecting preparations have meant Brazil has struggled to use the event as a showcase for the country on a global stage.