Rio 2016 Countdown Features Sport And Youth

Sport and Youth are the two themes chosen by Rio 2016 to mark the one-year countdown for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. According to a press release school children from government sports projects were special guests at a series of events held by the federal, state and municipal governments, to commemorate the date that the 2016 Games host city will be chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - October 2, 2009 in Copenhagen Denmark.

The highlight of a commemorative lunch at the official residence of Sergio Cabral Filho, Governor of Rio de Janeiro, was a group of pupils from the "Suderj em Forma" project, which encourages young people throughout Rio de Janeiro to participate in sports such as athletics and swimming. The children were chosen from more than 50,000 project participants and are part of the Maracana unit.

The Governor said that the 2016 Games will stimulate young Brazilians to become even more involved with the Olympic Movement's values of friendship and respect. "The greatest legacy of the Rio 2016 Games will be social transformation, inspired by Olympic values, which will benefit millions of young Brazilians. That's what motivates us", he said.

Children were also involved Wednesday when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received athletes from the Brazilian delegation that took part in the Beijing Games. Fifty children from the Ministry of Sport's Segundo Temp ("Second Half") project, which provides extra physical activity and academic support to children, attended the event.

Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of Rio 2016 said, "these events show the commitment of the three levels of government to both Rio 2016 and the Olympic Movement. Sport and education need to go hand in hand so that we can develop a better and fairer society. These principles will guide us over the next 12 months, which will certainly involve hard work, but will also demonstrate the potential of Rio de Janeiro".

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