Rio Report -- Maracana Costs Increase, Exclusive Photos; U.N. Sport Chief on 2016 Legacy

Construction Costs Increase

Despite major delays in the massive renovation of the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2014 World Cup organizers tell Around the Rings sister site World Football INSIDER the stadium will be ready by the end of next yearfor the 2013 Confederations Cup.

"The works in Maracana are progressing according to schedule and the [Organizing Committee] is working with the possibility that the stadium will be ready in time to be used as one of the venues of the Confederations Cup, if Rio is chosen as one of the host cities in 2013," a Brazil 2014 spokesman told INSIDER.

A spokesman for the State of Rio, which oversees the Maracana reconstruction, revealed that the projected cost of the revamp was $600 million. It was previously reported that the renovation would come in at $450 million.

Earlier this week, INSIDER visited the Maracana - site of the 2014 World Cup final - and saw first-hand the scale of the job ahead.

With so much work to complete on a fast-track timetable - as our exclusive photos show - serious questions remain over whether it will be completed by December 2012 in time for the Confederations Cup.

Large sections of the stadium originally built for the 1950 World Cup are gone as part of the mad dash to completely overhaul the venue for FIFA's quadrennial showpiece.

Every facet of the venue needs renovation to comply with FIFA's stringent standards.

For continued coverage, and more exclusive photos, visit World Football INSIDER.

Opportunity for Social Improvement

The United Nations’ chief sport official says Brazil can harness the attention of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics to improve the world.

Wilfried Lemke, U.N. Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace made the comments after a five-day visitto Brazil this week.

"With the World Cup returning to Brazil after 64 years and the first ever Olympic and Paralympic Games to take place on South American soil, the upcoming major sports events are a historic and unique opportunity for the people of Brazil and the UN family to harness the power of sport and the world’s attention to disseminate important messages and deliver a positive social legacy that makes a difference and lasts far beyond the events," he said.

Lemke was on hand for the Military Games currently taking place in Rio, and he met with spotrts minister Orland Silva, Rio 2016 and Brazilian Olympic Committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman,and other top sport and government officials.

The U.N. said he "offered his full support to ensure that the sport events will be a success and, in particular, leave behind a sustainable social development legacy."

Robbers Storms Boutique Hotel

A group of armed thugs raided a boutique hotel in the Rio neighborhood of Santa Teresa Monday, robbing guests, according to authorities.

Hotel Santa Teresa says on its website it "offers peace-of-mind and safety to all guests".

The self-described "chic" hotel is located in the cultural center of downtown.

The BBC says there were no reports of any injuries to any guests.

Crime is an infamous problem that has plagued Rio for decades.

The Associate Press published a report on the violence police have used in the city to "pacify" the massive slums, known as favelas, and the deaths that have occurred as result of police work.

Recently, a 14-year-old innocent boy was shot by police and died, hurting police efforts.

Written by Ed Hula III.