This week’s election result is being considered a strong result for Brazil’s sport industry with president elect Dilma Rousseff having promised increased spending for the area on top of the already significant commitments of recent years, including ongoing World Cup and Rio Olympics preparations, both of which she has had a previous hand in through her previous role as Chief of Staff in the Lula government.
In the lead up to the presidential run-off Dilma strongly promoted her plans to pump up spending on sport, particularly in relation to social inclusion programs, running a lengthy advertising campaign dedicated purely to her policies and proposals involving sport, while opposition candidate José Serra made few references to the area. She also committed to Lula’s existing promises of ensuring the Cup and Olympics are fitting showcases of Brazil’s emergence as a global heavyweight.
Importantly, both the Brazilian Olympic Committee and Brazilian Football Confederation have already displayed their confidence in the new leadership and its ability to oversee successful editions of each event. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, also commented that the result is a boon for the city and state, with Dilma a much closer ally than Sao Paulo-based Serra.