Mar 24, 2015 09:30 AM

500 days to the Olympics: Ministers provide details on progress made and federal government challenges in eleven sectors

Pieces portray achievements and timeline in the final stage of preparation

Like the Olympic Villa, the arenas are taking shape in the Barra and Deodoro regions in Rio de Janeiro. Federal government investments and initiatives for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are very much visible 500 days away from the opening of the mega event, scheduled for 5 August next year.

Several work fronts are underway. Actions involve promoting Brazil abroad, which is under the charge of the Brazilian Tourism Board (EMBRATUR). The estimate is that 400 thousand foreign visitors will come to Brazil for the Games. Work is being done in signage for tourists, accessibility, accommodation and better conditions are being put in place so that other Brazilian destinations, in addition to Rio, become places of interest for tourists, a goal set by the Ministry of Tourism.

The Games require liaison between the Ministries of Defence and Justice to ensure the safety of athletes, authorities and tourists in and outside the 159 sporting venues. Telecommunication and connectivity related services also provide a challenge, under the charge of ANATEL, the agency that regulates the sector.

In addition, the mega event demands integration from the three government levels, with the leadership role played by the Olympic Public Authority (APO), as well as the key function performed by the Presidential Staff Office standing out. It also includes the moulding of health surveillance related operations, as well as the supply of ambulances and the development of specific applications, under the charge of the Ministry of Health. In order to ensure the smooth coming and going of over 200 delegations, airports will rely on appropriate structure and this is an area where the Secretariat of Civil Aviation plays a major role. Staff from the Ministry of External Relations will also be called upon to greet and play host to heads of states and government.

The Ministry of Sport in its turn coordinates all these efforts, providing conditions for the appropriate preparation of athletes, while at the same time ensuring sport and infrastructure related legacy, making sure that the impact of the mega event reaches beyond the host city. The official opening of the National and Regional Training Centres throughout the country, the consolidation of athletics tracks in several regions and the delivery of modern venues to different confederations are an already visible stage of this scenario.

In order to celebrate the 500 days to the opening ceremony at the Maracanã, brasil2016.gov.br has interviewed ministers and heads of federal government entities in charge of organising the Olympic Games, eleven authorities in total. They talk of the progress made in video and text, scheduled actions and the main challenges in the final stage of preparation.