Brazil Deputy Sports Minister Fernandes Says Country Is Ready For Sporting Events

Brazil Deputy Sports Minister Luis Fernandes, who attended the Paralympic Closing Ceremony Sunday, predicted that "national pride would ensure the Games in Rio de Janeiro would be every bit as successful as London," according Martyn Herman of REUTERS. Fernandes said, "I think it has made things more challenging because London has elevated the bar. The level of performance that is expected of us is higher now than ever. But on the other hand the success of London has made the Games more attractive to private investors and increased the goodwill about the Olympics." Fernandes also said that staging the world's two biggest sporting events in the space of two years "would drive Brazil forward." Fernandes believes that hosting the World Cup two years before the Olympics "could prove beneficial," practically in maintaining public enthusiasm. Fernandes said, "Many of the initiatives will cross over. Such as transportation and security" (REUTERS, 9/10).