IOC president believes in success of Rio 2016 Olympics

Thomas Bach

Bucharest, Sep 13 (IANS) Rio 2016 Summer Olympics will be successful, just as the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has said.

In Bucharest for the centennial anniversary of the Romanian Olympic Committee, the IOC president Friday said that "we expect an excellent Olympics in Rio, an Olympics full of enthusiasm and joy of life from Brazil".

"Everyone is working hard, there's no time to lose and finally I think we'll have an Olympics just as successful as the World Cup a few months ago," Bach said, adding that "there were discussions before the World Cup, I think it will be just the same before the Olympic Games, but arenas in Brazil will be ready on time."

Brazilians understand the great legacy of the Games, he stressed, underlining that Rio will benefit after the Olympics, there will be many improvements for tourists, telecommunications, public transport, they will surely appreciate these things.

According to him, in a latest survey, almost 80 percent of residents support the Olympic Games.

"I think that's encouraging," he added.

Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee Friday celebrated 100 years in existence and organised a show at the Athenaeum concert hall in the centre of Bucharest, in honour of athletes who wrote the Romanian history of the Summer Olympics, with 302 medals.