Pele backs Brazil bid

Pele today threw his weight behind Rio de Janeiro’s bid for the 2016 Games by calling on the International Olympic Committee to choose a South American city for the first time.

The legendary Brazilian footballer said it was important for the Olympic movement to go to new territories.

Pele, speaking in Beijing, said: “I’m not representing Rio de Janeiro but Brazil. I’m not representing Brazil but the whole of South America.

“The Olympics have never been played in South America and will inspire millions of young people.”

Pele also believes he can be a talisman for the Rio bid after previously helping Japan and Korea, and the USA before that, to win bids to host football’s World Cup.

He added: “I have told them they cannot lose. When we spoke about the World Cup going to Japan and Korea I was in the commission working to take it there when we won.

“I was in New York Cosmos when the US wanted to host the World Cup and I worked for that and it went there.

“So Rio will win this no doubt.”

Rio has a reputation for high crime levels but bid president Carlos Nuzman insisted public safety would be guaranteed.

He said: “We hosted the Pan-American Games, where the US delegation numbered 1,200, we have two million on the streets on New Year’s Eve and three million for Carnival week, all under absolute control.”

Nuzman said there would be a new approach to security for the first time with federal and city security and police forces merging.