Tragedy highlights decrepit stadiums

A DEADLY soccer stadium accident in Brazil over the weekend has exposed grossly inadequate infrastructure in the country that will host the World Cup in 2014.

Fans jumping to celebrate their team’s promotion to the second league in the north-eastern city of Salvador fell to their deaths on Sunday when part of the stadium collapsed. At least seven people died and 40 were injured among the 60,000 fans packing the stadium.

Critics said yesterday authorities had ignored warnings about the condition of the Fonte Nova stadium in Salvador, one of 18 cities bidding to hold matches in the 2014 World Cup. Five-times World Cup winners Brazil, whose football prowess is a defining character of the nation, was chosen as host last month.

A report this month by the national association of engineering and architecture companies found several structural problems with many stadiums, including Salvador’s.

“What we found was worse than what we expected,” said association head Jose Roberto Bernasconi. “Many stadiums are in an absolutely deplorable state.”

The report showed 80% of Brazil’s stadiums needed structural repairs, 90% had no access for handicapped people and 95% had poor or terrible sanitary facilities.

Only a few stadiums, including the famous Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, were considered adequate.

Brazilians are hoping the country can overcome decrepit stadiums and rampant urban violence to stage a successful spectacle in 2014. Currently, no stadiums meet the conditions needed to host a World Cup match.

Salvador, capital of Bahia state, had been planning to build a new stadium and fans of the home team demanded yesterday the Fonte Nova stadium be torn down. Built in 1951, the stadium has never had a general overhaul and the seating was last refurbished 37 years ago, local authorities told CBN radio.

LANCE, a leading sports newspaper, also warned in March about serious concerns about the stadium.