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Opinion: Rio-16: An Ugly Crisis
05/02/2014 - 09h06
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JUCA KFOURI
FOLHA COLUMNIST
Before the IOC (International Olympic Committee) had interfered in the Olympics organization and appointed a chief to put the house in order, a tense meeting from the Games Coordination Committee happened, in March, in Rio.
At the meeting, Israel representative in the IOC Executive Committee, Dean Alex Gilady, irritated by the wonderful news heard about the work progress in the World Cup, requested to turn off his microphone and not to be recorded and then after asking that everything spoken would stay in the room, lambasted the Olympics preparation.
He began by saying that the World Cup and Olympics are incomparable events and went on to demonstrate that none of the promises made during Rio's choice was being fulfilled. "Words to the wind," he said.
He directly criticized former president Lula remembering that the emotion shown by him when the election of the place happened did not turn into action.
Bluntly, he said that he was convinced that Brazilians did not commit to what was said and that the IOC was not willing to continue being deceived.
He added that coordination meetings had turned into endless justifications for what was not being done, rather than presenting what was accomplished.
As soon as he finished speaking, facing a terrible atmosphere, the executive secretary from the Ministry of Sport, Luis Fernandes, responded, also indignantly, according to two sources present at the meeting.
Fernandes insisted not to be recorded and did not accept the criticism to Lula as he guaranted there was no reason for such a reprehension.
Conciliator, Rio's mayor Eduardo Paes, tried to lighten up, when he said, as he had said repeatedely, that it is much better to work with the IOC than with FIFA and thanked the fact they are monitoring so closely and even pressuring, but assured that everything will turn out satisfactorily.
Coincidence or not, the following day it was announced by the IOC, diplomatically, that the Swiss Gilbert Felli, its chief executive, would work more closely with the the Rio-16 committee.
It does not come as a surprise, then, the declaration by IOC vice-president, the Australian John Coates, that preparations for the Olympic Games in 2016 as the worst he has ever seen, even compared to Athens.
The critical situation referred by the manager is also a portrait of the World Cup, 40-days ahead of its opening, at least at the stage of the opening match.
It is not difficult to understand why the IOC is on alert.
After all, as much as the Olympics and FIFA would not compare, at least it is being used so that the second, in a Brazilian way, could warn those accustomed to Swiss standards. Or Catalans...
Translated by SIMONE PALMA