Silva Remains Sports Minister
Orlando Silva will stay on as Brazilian sports minister in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
He was among six officials named Monday by president-elect Dilma Rousseff to her projected 37-member cabinet. Seven more remain to be named before Jan. 1, when her administration takes over.
Other than president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Silva was the federal representative most associated with the Olympic bid. He joins a cabinet that will be instrumental in handling the government’s role in preparations for the pair of mega-events.
Also Monday, actress and artist Ana de Hollanda was named minister of culture, a post traditionally charged with a fair share of Games organization.
Lula Credits Professionalism
At the Brazilian Olympic Committee’s award ceremony Monday night, Lula offered his take on why Rio won the 2016 Olympics.
"When people ask me why we won the right to organize the Olympics, I say it was the professionalism of all who participated" he claims.
Lula said Brazil shed its inferiority complex, known in Portugese as the "complexo de vira-lata", roughly translated as the "mutt complex" to win the 2016 Olympics.
"We decided to be people with the right to have the Olympics in Brazil."
"We want to turn sport into an instrument of development for the country."
Lula’s comments came at the Brazilian Sports Personality Awards in Rio, the country’s biggest sporting award.
Also honored at the event were Rio mayor Eduardo Paes and state governor, Sergio Cabral.
"Let's show the world that the Rio is able to host the Olympic Games" Cabral said. "For this reason, many things have already started to be built in this city for 2016."
Paes’ award came in recognition of the work Rio has already done for the Olympics.
This year’s ceremony was designed with the hopes of inspiring young Brazilian athletes for the 2016 Olympics.
Top athlete honors went to Fabiana Murer named Brazilian sportswoman of the year and volleyball player Murilo Endres who earned the men’s award.
Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee told Lula that though his presidency is ending, his support will be counted on by Rio 2016.
"You will continue with us in Rio 2016 because you are intimately connected to all of us. We will count on you throughout this journey. You are the president who did the most for sport in the history of the republic."
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Written by Matthew Grayson.
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