Minister of Sports says it is time for Brazil to bring home twenty Olympic medals

Minister of Sports, Aldo Rebelo, is more optimistic than the Brazilian Olympic Committee (“COB”). The minister thinks Brazilian athletes could win as many as twenty medals in London. The COB estimate is that the total will be fifteen.

Rebelo said he was making his forecast based on the large investment made by the government in high yield sports. He said the new government policy had resulted in the best ever Olympic preparation and that in cost/benefit terms he expected it to bear fruit in London. The minister said the COB estimate did not take modern training programs and new sports infrastructure into consideration and was the same as the 2008 Beijing games. Rebelo said he expected an improvement.

According to the minister, the sports with the best chances of medals are Judo, swimming and beach volleyball (where Brazil has done well in the past),. “We just might finally win a gold medal in soccer as well. Of course, our women’s soccer always wins a medal,” declared the minister.

As for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, Rebelo was also optimistic. He said he thought the international financial crisis would not affect attendance and that at least 500.000 to 600,000 tourists would come. “Not less than that,” he said.

With regard to medals in 2016, Rebelo said a very detailed training plan was being worked out to ensure that Brazil would turn in a performance worthy of a host nation.

Rebelo said Brazil would have assistance from the organizers of the London games. “I am sure we can obtain important lessons that will help us make our games a success.”