By Andrew Warshaw
January 16 – In another blow to the image of Brazil’s status as World Cup and Olympic hosts, the prestigious annual Laureus sports awards – dubbed the Oscars of sport and due to have taken place in March in Rio de Janeiro – have suddenly been called off.
Laureus announced the decision in a brief statement without elaborating, saying more details would be revealed “shortly”.
Brazilian media suggest the cancellation is over a money dispute between organisers and the state of Rio de Janeiro. Reports say Laureus, whose star-studded ceremony was due to have been held in Rio for the second year running, is owed money under the terms of the contract.
“Laureus and the state of Rio de Janeiro have agreed that the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards will not be staged in Rio,” the brief statement said.
The cancellation comes three months after the Soccerex conference, football’s annual trade show, was also called off in a dispute with the Rio state government, with the latter seemingly uncomfortable about spending lavish amounts on non-essential sports events with last year’s protests during the Confederations Cup still very much in the minds of the politicians.
Soccerex organisers say their conference was ditched because of security concerns, a charge denied by the state government. Whatever the reason, Brazilian authorities are clearly hugely sensitive about concentrating on anything other than the World Cup and the Olympics at the present time.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently said Brazil was the least-prepared of any World Cup host he has known.
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