Brasilia provided the setting for an executive meeting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Organising Committee (LOC) on Thursday, which was attended by executives from both FIFA and the LOC as well as Brazilian government officials. With this being the LOC’s first meeting since January’s in Rio de Janeiro several key aspects concerning Brazil 2014 were covered.
LOC President Jose Maria Marin got proceedings underway by welcoming FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, the Brazilian Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo, the Executive Secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of Sport Luis Fernandes, and the President of the Sao Paulo Football Association and FIFA Executive Committee member Marco Polo Del Nero.
In response, Valcke and Rebelo highlighted the cooperation between all the organisations in providing updates on the progress of the work being performed and in carrying out joint initiatives.
“We Brazilians are grateful for the attention and dedication FIFA is showing us,” commented Marin. “We are all together. The LOC, FIFA and the Brazilian government are united in perfect harmony and working towards a single objective: to stage the best FIFA World Cup ever.”
“This is our first meeting since 8 May, when we agreed to provide continuous joint updates on the progress of the work being carried out,” added Valcke. “I am certain that this joint action will help us to find all the necessary solutions and take the right steps quickly.”
For his part, Rebelo had this to say: “This meeting here in Brasilia is an important step forward in the organisation of the FIFA World Cup. We have got all the organisations integrated, which means we can anticipate problems and their solutions and overcome obstacles.
“There is more to the FIFA World Cup than the construction of stadiums, than urban mobility, ports and airports,” he continued. “It is an event of great spiritual significance, one that gives hope to our population and people everywhere. We are changing the expectations of certain quarters, who only see problems with the FIFA World Cup, and we can now see an opportunity to bring about the economic and social development of Brazil.”
The meeting then began, with the Brazilian government offering an update on all the construction projects and the provision of the resources required to implement them, mainly in urban mobility and airport projects. The report was provided by Executive Secretary Fernandes.
A progress report on construction work at the stadiums was then given, based on the LOC’s continual monitoring and the latest visits carried out by the technical inspection groups. The assessment was positive, with considerable progress being made at stadiums where certain issues had to be addressed and work remaining on schedule at the other stadiums. The time-table for the erecting of temporary structures and for the installation of the pitches was also presented.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that the Final Draw of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, an event that will be closely followed by millions of fans around the planet, will be held at Costa do Sauipe, in Bahia, in December 2013. The draw for the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 will take place on 1 December 2012 at the Anhembi Complex, Sao Paulo.
Another key issue that came up for discussion was the releasing of the regulations governing the public broadcast of FIFA World Cup matches at large gatherings other than the FIFA Fan Fests (click on the link on the right for more information).
It was also agreed that the Stadium Operations Seminar will be held on 10-12 July in the city of Fortaleza. In addition to activities relating to the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup, the issue of stadium legacy following the two competitions will be discussed at this event. The Management Board of the LOC will hold its next meeting in Rio de Janeiro on 30 August. FIFA.Com & Image © AFP
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