POSTED: October 12th 2008
NewsUpdate
Pele's new Mexican mission
Special Correspondent / Sports Features Communications
ACAPULCO: Pele hit the highest peak of his soccer career in Mexico – and was thrilled to be back there, in Acapulco, to rally support for Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 summer Games.
Pelé reiterated his stance on doping and racial issues as he supported Rio’s bid at the general assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) which comprises 42 National Olympic Committees from the American continent.
He said: “I won an important victory with Brazil in Mexico in 1970 with football and I'm sure that we are on the way to making history again. We are united and working hard to bring the Olympic Games to South America for the first time.
“Our time has come and I really believe in this project. I travel a lot and I know that people love Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. We will welcome everybody in 2016 with great joy, but also with excellent infrastructure."
The Rio bid team, making its first formal presentation to PASO, included Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president; Carlos Roberto Osório, secretary general; Christiane Paquelet, director of the Education and Culture Department of the Brazilian Olympic Committee; and Mario Cilenti, Rio 2016's director of international relations.
Changing face of football
Later Pele widened debate to touch the theme of racial harmony as he promoted Rio’s qualities to the media.
He recalled: “When I first played in the World Cup, in Sweden in 1958, I noticd that other national teams did not have any black players. Nowadays, I feel so proud to see that every selection, around the world, includes black players. I always have been so proud to be black."
Pele is also looking forward to seeing Brazil host the 2014 World Cup and believes that taking the Olympic Games to Rio two years later would constitute an ideal sporting, social and cultural partnership.
He said: “I am putting the same support into Rio’s Olympic bid that I gave for our country to bring the 2014 World Cup to our continent."
Turning his attention to doping, Pele said: “Thank goodness, I've never have that problem. In the world of soccer, it's more controllable than in other sports. I try to send young people the message that drugs cause only negative effects."
He urged all sports enthusiasts, governments and societies to support the anti-doping movement.
Rio bid chairman Nuzman affirmed that Pelé's presence signifies strong athlete support for the Rio 2016 bid. He said: “Pelé has identified personally with the campaign and his support is important since he is respected around the entire world and not only an athlete. He made a point of coming to Mexico to be alongside us."
Next stop for the 2016 bid cities' campaign trail will be October 21 at the general assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia during the first Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia.
Keywords · Pele · Mexico · Acapulco · Rio de Janeiro · 2016 summer Games · doping · racial issues · Pan American Sports Organization · PASO · Carlos Arthur Nuzman · Carlos Roberto Osório · Christiane Paquelet · Mario Cilenti · Olympic Council of Asia · Asian Beach Games · Bali · Ind
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