Rio prepares to host next Olympic Games

With the whole world witnessing and extolling the near-flawless staging of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is all set to organise the next edition in 2016.

Most importantly, Rio, by hosting the Olympics in four years’ time, wants to show the world that the city’s predominant laid-back culture is also conducive to welcome a truly global sporting event.

The Brazilian government will be sanctioning a whopping £10.8 billion to fund the renovation of the city’s mass transit system ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

Preparations are underway to set up four main Olympic sites in the city as part of a major infrastructure overhaul, sources have reported. The main focus of the organisers is to make sure the next Games unmistakably proclaim Brazil’s arrival onto the world stage, said a local barman, who is confident that his country will do enough to promote Rio as a place which has something more grand to offer other than just samba and carnival.

While many people are not too expectant from the next Olympic event, the host city believes things will fall in place gradually and Rio would be able to pull a surprise rabbit out of its hat at the very last minute.

A majority of the 2016 events will be held in Barra da Tijuca, located southwest of the city, along the Atlantic coastline. Maracanã, Copacabana Beach and Deodoro will host the remaining events. Some of globally recognised footballing venues such as Maracanã Stadium, Arena Fonte Nova and Estádio Nacional de Brasília will host the football matches in the Olympics.

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