Ministry of Sports reveals $300m World Cup investment in Rio
Date added: 24th December, 2009 at 09:39
(view all articles from December, 2009)
Categories: Rio, Olympics 2016, World Cup 2014
An investment in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana football stadium has been announced by the government to get it ready for the forthcoming World Cup and the Olympic Games.
Brazil's secretary of sports and tourism Marcia Lins Lins revealed the plans, which will set the government back $300 million (£187.7 million).
She explained that because the Maracana is classed as an historic monument, its facade will remain the same but a roof will be added to the giant five-storey stadium.
Thanks to the government's investment in Rio, the venue's facelift is set to begin in March 2010, meaning that it will be closed from September.
As a result of the improvements, the ground's capacity will be reduced from its current level of 87,000 down to a Fifa-recommended 82,000.
"Before, stadiums were practically just large pitches but today they are multi-disciplined arenas," said Lin Lins.
According to figures from Brazil's Ministry of Sports, the 2016 Olympics will contribute $51.1 billion (£32 billion) towards the country's economy between now and 2027.
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