The mayor of Rio de Janeiro said on Monday the 2016 Olympic Games hosts were being “tough” on the problem of security after 16 people died over the weekend in gang-related violence.
A police helicopter was hit by gunfire as it surveyed a turf war under way between drug gangs in the Morro dos Macacos slum in northern Rio.
The aircraft burst into flames after impact, killing two of the officers on board. The incident triggered an assault on slums by police and an intense firefight that led to 14 more deaths.
The fatalities came just weeks after Rio won the right to stage the 2016 Games — the first time the Olympics will take place in South America — and reopened concerns about the safety of the Brazilian city as a venue for the world’s leading sports event.
But Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, speaking at a conference in London on Monday, said: “We never hid our problems [with violence] during the bid process. We’ve always told people we had problems and we are focusing on those problems. We still have a lot to do. We have a long way to go and what happened this weekend shows that.”
“We are being tough with these problems,” he said. “We are sure by 2016 we will deliver the Games and hopefully in a way that the city will be more peaceful and secure for all our citizens. We worry about security for our citizens, for our everyday lives, for the visitors that come on a regular basis and that is our challenge for things as we move forward.”
Meanwhile Craig Reedie, a British member of the International Olympic Committee’s executive board, recalled that a day after London won the right to stage the 2012 Games there were 52 deaths in the British capital following suicide bombings in buses and on the underground railway network.
However, there is now no suggestion London could be boycotted on security grounds.
“The IOC did look at safety. Rio is a big city,” Reedie said. “I deeply regret what happened in Rio recently but I have to say that it pales into insignificance compared to what happened in London in 2005.”
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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