Minister of Sport assesses participation of Brazil in the London Games

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Publicado em Segunda, 13 Agosto 2012 08:55

This Monday (13.08), in a press conference at Brazil's embassy in London, the Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo assessed the performance of the country?s delegation in the Olympic Games as corresponding to what was expected, but results should evolve in the Rio de Janeiro edition, in 2016.  "We managed podium finishes with so many athletes and teams. We should be proud and acknowledge this achievement. We have won gold in women's volleyball, a first gold in gymnastics. Of the athletes who won medals in individual sports, ten are beneficiaries of the Ministry of Sport", emphasised the Minister. The press conference also had the attendance of the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Sport Luis Fernandes and the National Secretary of High Performance Sport Ricardo Leyser.

Aldo Rebelo added that the government as a whole made a joint effort with state companies, which had already been supporting Olympic sports, in order to intensify investments in the last four years. "We won seventeen medals, a first for the country. We won fifteen medals in Beijing and here in London, the Olympic Committee expected to repeat that number. We, of the Ministry of Sport, were a little more optimistic and had predicted twenty medals and we were close", he explained.

Ricardo Leyser highlighted that this was the first Olympic cycle in which the debate about targets, plans and transparency in relation to public resources materialised.  "The important point to emphasise in the assessment of London is that different from Beijing, here we consolidated the idea that it is necessary to assess results and be transparent about how resources are being used. The Ministry of Sport raised the idea of goals, plans and targets, and the comparison between results and resources invested."

The Minister recalled that in 2016, Brazil will have to respond to the expectations of a host country. "2016 will be a first for us: competing in the Olympics as a host country. Beijing and London made a special effort to make the performance and capabilities of a host country compatible."

To reach a new level, the government is conducting a series of actions to improve training conditions of Brazilian athletes. "We have to make a bigger integration effort, among all entities that work with high performance sport: the government, COB, confederations, the clubs. The goal is to promote better assistance for athletes, designing instruments such as the Coach Grant, the Medal Plan and enhancing sport infrastructure and equipment. All these measure will be taken so that we may expect even more in 2016", added Aldo Rebelo.

Luis Fernandes highlighted the preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games: "We are finalising the Responsibility Matrix. Several budget elements depend on a technical definition in relation to the nature of the sport complexes that will be built. We have set up two technical groups, with the participation of the municipal and state governments, as well as the organising committee, in order to conclude the design of the basic projects of these sport complexes".

Breno Barros, from London
Photo: Marcelo Saraiva
Ascom - Ministry of Sport
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