Brazil saw a "record number" of int'l tourists in '16, "boosted by the first Olympic Games held in South America," official data showed on Wednesday. A total of 6.6 million int'l travelers visited Brazil last year, the tourism ministry said, 4.8% higher than the year before. They "injected" $6.2B into the Brazilian economy, compared to $5.84B in '15. Brazil is "the most popular destination in Latin America but lags far behind the world's top 10 popular destinations" (REUTERS, 1/4).
Darts "should" be an Olympic sport and "ticks all the boxes" for inclusion in future Games, according to England's World Cup-winning former rugby coach Clive Woodward. The former British Olympic Association director of elite performance wrote that darts was "growing in popularity worldwide" and it was time it "stepped up to the Olympic oche." It could be a "very long wait," however. There are currently 37 officially recognized Olympic sports and darts, "a game that has long been played by drinkers in English pubs and bars," is not one of them (REUTERS, 1/4).
The IOC "will not allow Indonesia to call a newly developed site for high-performance athletes an 'Olympic Center,'" as the world sports governing body restricts the use of the term. The sports center is located at the Ministry of Youth & Sports' subsidiary office in Cibubur, East Jakarta, with development "projected to be completed in December." The name of the new site "will require further brainstorming" after the IOC declared its objection (JAKARTA GLOBE, 1/5).
