Rio mayor opposes Olympics

Rio mayor opposes Olympics

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said it was "a shame" that Brazil is hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics because the country lacks a sports policy.

Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes explains the area to be occupied by the Rio 2016 Olympics, at the Olympic Park in construction in Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 20, 2012, Brazil. Paes said it was "a shame" that his city is hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics because the country lacks a sports policy.

"It is a shame that Brazil is hosting the Olympic Games (...) We must handle the legacy of the Olympics in the city.

"It is up to the federal government to create a federal policy," he said in an interview to be aired in full on the ESPN channel Friday.

In the interview, Paes told sports journalist Juca Kfouri that his city will be left with "a legacy" of infrastructure but said it was unclear who would run the sports centers after the Olympics.

And he described as a "scandal" the fact that top Brazilian sports officials remain in their posts for life, criticized their performance and called for change.

"It is a scandal, It is a shame the way things operate. It is difficult to manage sports in Brazil with the quality of leaders we have.. They stay (in their posts) for life," he complained.

He also had harsh words for football's world governing body FIFA, saying "they only care about stadiums", less than a year before Brazil is to host the World Cup.

In June, more than a million Brazilians took to the streets to protest the high costs of hosting the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

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