Construction work and planning delays troubling

The president of Brazil's National Association of Architectural and of Consulting Engineering Companies (SINAENCO), Jose Roberto Bernansconi, has issued another warning to the cities and governments responsible for getting themselves ready for the 2014 Cup, stating that ongoing delays and hiccups in transport and telecommunications preparations in particular are becoming very worrying.

Having just returned from London and an inspection of preparations for the 2012 Olympics, Bernansconi believes Brazil, and of course Rio de Janeiro, are falling behind the required time-frames and that significant work needs to be done over the coming months to remedy the situation.

Aussie tent city for 2010 Cup

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald today provides details of what is sure to be another amazing piece of Australian off-field sporting prowess. For the 2010 World Cup in South Africa a big, well-organised football supporters group, called simply the Fanatics, has hired the 25,000-seat Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban and will create a village-style headquarters at the facility, which is just 1km from the beach.

Organisers already have approval from Durban council and plan to transform the ground into a tent village for up to 1,500 supporters as a base for the group stage of the tournament. Rock band Powderfinger is also said to have committed to play at some stage during the period.

A novel approach sure, and sounds like plenty of fun, but the real question is just who is on the organising committee for the Brazilian tent city for 2014?

Rio Mayor leads group to European Olympic cities

On Monday, October 19 Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of Rio, led a small group of key figures involved with planning for the Rio 2016 Olympics to Europe to tour the Olympic cities of London (2012), Barcelona (1992) and Athens (2004).

The group, which also includes the special secretary for Rio 2016, Ruy Cezar, and development secretary, Felipe Góes, will focus on promoting Rio de Janeiro, attempting to attract investors and setting up research links.

The revitalisation of the Harbour Zone, which will feature an accommodation village with 1,840 beds, will be one of the strategic initiatives presented to host groups.

£30 billion estimate put on World Cup/Rio 2016 construction opportunities

A new report by UK Trade & Investment has detailed that up to £30 billion worth of construction work opportunities will be available in Brazil thanks to the 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympics.

The report covers commercial opportunities from over 80 projects including:

• £1.5 billion on constructing and modernising 12 stadiums
• £1.4 billion expanding and modernising airports across the country
• £10 billion improving and expanding urban transport systems in the 12 world cup host cities

Report author Faith Quigley stated that “The know-how and expertise of UK companies, and the sporting links between our two countries, makes our firms well-placed to take advantage of these opportunities."

Rugby and golf to make 2016 even more interesting

Today's decision that both golf and rugby 7s will be included in the 2016 Rio Olympics should create another interesting aspect to an already intriguing situation for the 'cidade maravilhosa'. Neither sport is at all important in Brazil, with rugby at best amateur and grassroots-driven (mainly by gringos - expats) and golf essentially an elite-only sport with a small, tight-knit following and only a handful of courses in most cities and very few really good layouts around the country. Indeed, one commentator has already pointed out that Rio doesn't currently have a course long enough to host an international golf tournament, so some big decisions and significant development will be on the cards.

The big picture then is that, like many of the disciplines already included in the Olympic regime, both new additions will require significant foreign involvement and expertise to be made a reality.

Development bank to fund Games and Cup

Brazil's National Bank of Economic and Social Development has indicated that it will release up to R$15 billion (US$8.5 billion) for projects for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics combined. The principal focus of the funding will be on activities involving infrastructure in the 12 Cup host cities, including Rio and its additional requirements for the Games.

The federal government has also announced that it expects Rio 2016 to cost around R$26 billion, seven times the cost of the 2007 Pan American Games, which came in at R$3.7 billion.

Brazil's big sporting chance

While the country is still officially considered a 'developing' nation, Brazil has received a massive dose of support from the world's principal sporting authorities by being chosen to host the planet's two biggest sporting events within a period of two years.

Projects and planning already underway for the 2014 World Cup will be given a big boost following Rio's successful bid to host the 2016 Olympics, with the vote of confidence in Rio's capability sure to reverberate around the country and give new life to Cup-focused projects in the 11 other cities hosting matches. In short, the Olympics win will instill even more self-belief in the governments, private groups and individuals responsible for getting the country ready for the Cup, while the additional international focus should also promote a greater sense of responsibility in terms of ensuring the country is as ready as physically possible, across all key areas, by 2014.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Rio decision was met with a fair amount of disbelief from a great number of Brazilians. Although a favourite in the days leading up to the final vote, there was definitely a sense of cynicism in the local population that South America, Latin America, would once again be looked over for a safer option. But it wasn't, and in the days following the decision the new feeling is one of optimism, acceptance and confidence; an important shift for a country that has always been self-conscious about its international standing.

Questions over security, facilities, capability and experience are certainly relevant and understandable, and have been asked plenty of times before, but Brazil's strong, stable growth in recent years and increasingly solid reputation on the global stage indicate that the country can find the answers: at least that what the people at the IOC and FIFA feel, as well as plenty of others in positions that matter.

Brazil is a big country on an upward trajectory and its success in attracting the planet's two key sporting events, both times right under the noses of other global superpowers, provides the international recognition the country has been desperately seeking in recent years. The important thing now is to take advantage of this newfound respect by doing everything in its power to fulfill the world's expectations while also remaining true to the country's traditions and people: no small task, but one that if performed proficiently and with a sense of urgency, will reap major rewards for many years to come. And with the world watching on, it is also a chance for Brazil to show that it really is the serious global player it has for some time been threatening to be.