Want an Olympic license plate, or a hand-embroidered Olympic handkerchief? 
 
How about Olympic cocaine? 
 
These and other products are among those being seized by Brazilian police in a crackdown on less-than-approved use of the five rings, mascots and other Olympic symbols ahead of the Games, which start in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. 
 
In a country where pirate versions of just about any product are as common as tropical fruit, Olympic organisers are battling a tide of bootleg goods sold and produced by those seeking to profit from the hype around the first-ever Games held in South America. 
 
&quot;These are opportunists,&quot; says Valeria Arag?o, a police inspector in charge of a 20-member counterfeit squad that in recent weeks has conducted raids across the city, confiscating all manner of ersatz Olympic goods.&nbsp;During one recent sting, she caught an elderly merchant, who had just embroidered &quot;Olympics 2016&quot; on a series of handkerchiefs, hanging one in her shop window. 
 
Narcotics police, meanwhile, in recent busts have even seized bricks of pressed marijuana and packets of cocaine that traffickers adorned with the Olympic rings. 
 
&quot;There are all sorts of people out there trading on something that has little to do with the spirit of sport or Olympic values,&quot; says Sylmara Multini, the director of licensing and retail for Rio 2016, as the organising committee is known. 
 
Money and sports 
 
The Olympics, of course, are as much about money as they are about sports. 
 
Officially, those who are supposed to get in on the action are sponsors and local partners that at present include major multinationals like Coca-Cola Co, McDonald&#39;s Corp and Banco Bradesco SA, a big Brazilian bank. 
 
Then there are licensees, who manufacture and sell the roughly 5,000 official trinkets, garments and souvenirs hawked by Rio 2016.&nbsp;Combined, revenues from those sources for Rio 2016 are expected to total almost $1 billion. 
 
But in Brazil, the black market is big business. Sales of pirate and counterfeit goods each year exceed well over $30 billion, according to estimates by various industries. 
 
It is not the first time Olympic authorities have wrestled with the problem. Officials in China, home to many black-market manufacturers, also fought counterfeiters before the 2008 Games in Beijing. 
 
Over the past week, the squad led by Arag?o raided souvenir stands at well-known tourist markets in the popular beachfront neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema. They seized over 2,300 items, ranging from pens and key chains to T-shirts and beach towels. 
 
&quot;People want to take advantage of an event like this, whether they know it&#39;s illegal or not,&quot; Arag?o says.&nbsp;Some of those caught in the dragnet are left scratching their heads. 
 
&quot;Rio 2016? How is that protected? It&#39;s just a word and a year,&quot; says Washington Valderrama, a vendor of souvenir license plates in Copacabana, who lost about $600 in revenue when the cops took 75 of them during a sting last week. 
 
&#39;Come back later&#39; 
 
A law passed in May of this year, complementing existing copyright legislation, specifically spells out protection for terms, in any language, including &quot;Rio 2016,&quot; &quot;Olympic Games,&quot; &quot;Rio Olympiad,&quot; and &quot;any other abbreviation or variation that could be created&quot;. 
 
In a giant white tent on the sands of Copacabana beach, the main drag for Rio tourism, Rio 2016 recently set up what they are calling a &quot;megastore&quot;. 
 
There, they peddle official merchandise including Olympic bikinis ($85), miniature metal replicas of the official torch ($170) and polyester ties peppered with green and yellow Olympic golf logos ($66). 
 
&quot;It&#39;s kind of pricey,&quot; says Cristian Krummenauer, a 38-year old visitor, eyeing a $40 red wine with an Olympic sailing logo bottled by a vintner near his hometown in southern Brazil. &quot;It&#39;s cheaper where I live, but it wouldn&#39;t have this nice label.&quot; 
 
A two minute walk up the shoreline, past a phony Spiderman posing for pictures and an Olympic-themed castle crafted by one of Copacabana&#39;s well-known sand sculptors, a street vendor touts garments folded across a large blanket. 
 
He offers one, a white polyester T-shirt emblazoned with Olympic rings, for about $9; one-third of the price of the official cotton version sold back at the &quot;megastore&quot;. 
 
As he launched into a pitch offering two for just $15, another peddler runs over and points: municipal guards, well-known to them as part of the crackdown, are headed their way. 
 
&quot;I gotta go,&quot; the vendor yelled, grabbing his blanket by the corners, snatching it into a bundle, and running off into the crowded beachfront. &quot;But come back later.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Olympic organisers battle a tide of bootleg goods sold and produced by those seeking to profit from the first-ever Games in South America

Want an Olympic license plate, or a hand-embroidered Olympic handkerchief? How about Olympic cocaine? These and other products are among those being seized by Brazilian police in a crackdown on less-than-approved use of the five rings, mascots and other Olympic symbols ahead of the Games, which start in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. In a country where pirate versions of just about any product are as common as tropical fruit, Olympic organisers are battling a tide of bootleg goods sold and produced by those seeking to profit from the hype around the first-ever Games held in South America. "These are opportunists," says Valeria Arag?o, a police inspector in charge of a 20-member counterfeit squad that in recent weeks has conducted raids across the city, confiscating all manner of ersatz Olympic goods. During one recent sting, she caught an elderly merchant, who had just embroidered "Olympics 2016" on a series of handkerchiefs, hanging one in her shop window. Narcotics police, meanwhile, in recent busts have even seized bricks of pressed marijuana and packets of cocaine that traffickers adorned with the Olympic rings. "There are all sorts of people out there trading on something that has little to do with the spirit of sport or Olympic values," says Sylmara Multini, the director of licensing and retail for Rio 2016, as the organising committee is known. Money and sports The Olympics, of course, are as much about money as they are about sports. Officially, those who are supposed to get in on the action are sponsors and local partners that at present include major multinationals like Coca-Cola Co, McDonald's Corp and Banco Bradesco SA, a big Brazilian bank. Then there are licensees, who manufacture and sell the roughly 5,000 official trinkets, garments and souvenirs hawked by Rio 2016. Combined, revenues from those sources for Rio 2016 are expected to total almost $1 billion. But in Brazil, the black market is big business. Sales of pirate and counterfeit goods each year exceed well over $30 billion, according to estimates by various industries. It is not the first time Olympic authorities have wrestled with the problem. Officials in China, home to many black-market manufacturers, also fought counterfeiters before the 2008 Games in Beijing. Over the past week, the squad led by Arag?o raided souvenir stands at well-known tourist markets in the popular beachfront neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema. They seized over 2,300 items, ranging from pens and key chains to T-shirts and beach towels. "People want to take advantage of an event like this, whether they know it's illegal or not," Arag?o says. Some of those caught in the dragnet are left scratching their heads. "Rio 2016? How is that protected? It's just a word and a year," says Washington Valderrama, a vendor of souvenir license plates in Copacabana, who lost about $600 in revenue when the cops took 75 of them during a sting last week. 'Come back later' A law passed in May of this year, complementing existing copyright legislation, specifically spells out protection for terms, in any language, including "Rio 2016," "Olympic Games," "Rio Olympiad," and "any other abbreviation or variation that could be created". In a giant white tent on the sands of Copacabana beach, the main drag for Rio tourism, Rio 2016 recently set up what they are calling a "megastore". There, they peddle official merchandise including Olympic bikinis ($85), miniature metal replicas of the official torch ($170) and polyester ties peppered with green and yellow Olympic golf logos ($66). "It's kind of pricey," says Cristian Krummenauer, a 38-year old visitor, eyeing a $40 red wine with an Olympic sailing logo bottled by a vintner near his hometown in southern Brazil. "It's cheaper where I live, but it wouldn't have this nice label." A two minute walk up the shoreline, past a phony Spiderman posing for pictures and an Olympic-themed castle crafted by one of Copacabana's well-known sand sculptors, a street vendor touts garments folded across a large blanket. He offers one, a white polyester T-shirt emblazoned with Olympic rings, for about $9; one-third of the price of the official cotton version sold back at the "megastore". As he launched into a pitch offering two for just $15, another peddler runs over and points: municipal guards, well-known to them as part of the crackdown, are headed their way. "I gotta go," the vendor yelled, grabbing his blanket by the corners, snatching it into a bundle, and running off into the crowded beachfront. "But come back later." (Reuters)

Brazil police crackdown on unlicensed Rio merchandise

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded Rio 2016 organisers enforce a strict ban on smoking in the athletes&#39; village after saying a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish. 
 
Delegation head Kitty Chiller said it was also &quot;completely unacceptable&quot; that a previously tested fire alarm system had been switched off at the time without the Australians being informed. 
 
The incident, which filled the stairwells with smoke on Friday evening, came after the Australians and several other teams had complained about unfinished and dirty rooms before moving in. 
 
&quot;The fire did seem to be accidental, probably a cigarette thrown into rubbish in the building,&quot; Chiller told a news conference on Saturday. 
 
&quot;We have asked Rio 2016 to enforce a very strict non-smoking policy. Every athletes&#39; village in the Olympic Games should be non-smoking, so we&rsquo;ve asked for that to be enforced, because at the moment it&#39;s not.&quot; 
 
A spokesman for the local organisers confirmed that a discarded cigarette butt was suspected. 
 
Firemen were stationed on every floor, with security guards in the basement, as a precaution after the scare but Chiller said such measures would not continue.&nbsp;Chiller said she had spoken to several other national committees warning them to check basements for refuse, and the matter would be raised at a meeting of team chiefs today. 
 
She said organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been &quot;extremely responsive&quot; and had promised a full report by Saturday evening. 
 
An investigation on Friday night had already established that the fire alarm system was turned off for several hours pending work on the next door building occupied by Germany and Belgium. 
 
&quot;We&rsquo;ve now absolutely insisted that that fire alarm system is never deactivated again,&quot; said Chiller. 
 
The Australians had complained last weekend about exposed wiring and blocked toilets, saying accommodation in the village was &quot;not safe or ready&quot; for the Games, which open on August 5. 
 
Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs.&nbsp;Friday&#39;s scare saw some 100 athletes and officials evacuated under an emergency response plan, but some still managed to sleep through it. 
 
Shooter Warren Potent, a 2008 bronze medallist in the 50m rifle prone category, confessed he was one of them and made light of the situation.&nbsp;&quot;They had the protocol in place but that doesn&rsquo;t actually work when I&rsquo;m asleep and the phone&rsquo;s on silent,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;At least now I can say I&rsquo;ve survived a burning building.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Smoke detectors were turned off, and Rio organisers confirmed that the fire was likely started by a discarded cigarette butt

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded Rio 2016 organisers enforce a strict ban on smoking in the athletes' village after saying a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish. Delegation head Kitty Chiller said it was also "completely unacceptable" that a previously tested fire alarm system had been switched off at the time without the Australians being informed. The incident, which filled the stairwells with smoke on Friday evening, came after the Australians and several other teams had complained about unfinished and dirty rooms before moving in. "The fire did seem to be accidental, probably a cigarette thrown into rubbish in the building," Chiller told a news conference on Saturday. "We have asked Rio 2016 to enforce a very strict non-smoking policy. Every athletes' village in the Olympic Games should be non-smoking, so we’ve asked for that to be enforced, because at the moment it's not." A spokesman for the local organisers confirmed that a discarded cigarette butt was suspected. Firemen were stationed on every floor, with security guards in the basement, as a precaution after the scare but Chiller said such measures would not continue. Chiller said she had spoken to several other national committees warning them to check basements for refuse, and the matter would be raised at a meeting of team chiefs today. She said organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been "extremely responsive" and had promised a full report by Saturday evening. An investigation on Friday night had already established that the fire alarm system was turned off for several hours pending work on the next door building occupied by Germany and Belgium. "We’ve now absolutely insisted that that fire alarm system is never deactivated again," said Chiller. The Australians had complained last weekend about exposed wiring and blocked toilets, saying accommodation in the village was "not safe or ready" for the Games, which open on August 5. Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs. Friday's scare saw some 100 athletes and officials evacuated under an emergency response plan, but some still managed to sleep through it. Shooter Warren Potent, a 2008 bronze medallist in the 50m rifle prone category, confessed he was one of them and made light of the situation. "They had the protocol in place but that doesn’t actually work when I’m asleep and the phone’s on silent," he told reporters. "At least now I can say I’ve survived a burning building." (Reuters)

Olympics: Australia demands smoking ban be enforced after athletes village fire

Four-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent led a cacophony of British condemnation of the International Olympic Committee&#39;s (IOC) decision not to ban the whole Russian team from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics. 
 
There would have been little place for the IOC or its president Thomas Bach to hide with the brickbats they received, the IOC being described as &quot;spineless&quot; and Bach being labelled -- among other things -- &quot;a Pontius Pilate figure&quot;. 
 
Pinsent said the IOC performed a &quot;hospital pass&quot; on Sunday in asking sports federations to decide who from the Russian team could compete in Rio after the revelations of state-run doping directed from Moscow. 
 
&quot;IOC has passed the buck -- pure and simple,&quot; wrote the 45-year-old Pinsent in The Times, whilst fellow rowing Olympic legend James Cracknell said the IOC &quot;bottled it&quot;. 
 
Defending Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford also weighed in. 
 
&quot;(The IOC&#39;s decision) is a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides,&quot; the 29-year-old told The&nbsp;Guardian newspaper. 
 
Athletics&#39; world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), has banned the Russian track and field team from the Rio Games, which start in less than two weeks. 
 
&quot;Athletics set the right sentiment for a clean and believable sport,&quot; said the outspoken Rutherford, who will defend his crown in Rio. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not there, we may never get there -- I am still very unhappy that many convicted cheats continue to compete -- but without a consequence for institutional-level actions how on earth do we expect to make any progress (on drug cheating)?&quot; 
 
IOC president dubbed as &#39;weak leader&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Another set to compete in Brazil, oarsman Andrew Triggs Hodge, wrote in The Times he would find it hard to believe that he would be competing against clean athletes. 
 
He could go up at the Olympics against three Russians who were part of a team disqualified when one of their number failed a dope test in July. 
 
&quot;Thomas Bach, the IOC president, has shown extraordinarily weak leadership,&quot; wrote Triggs Hodge. 
 
&quot;This was a moment in his career when he could define himself as an anti-doping champion. It needs someone of character, principle and mind to drive the IOC forward and he has completely neglected that.&quot; 
 
There was widespread sympathy too for Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, who served a two year-ban for doping and was informed by the IOC on Sunday she would not be allowed to compete at the Games. 
 
It was her disclosures about rampant Russian doping that sparked the scandal. 
 
&quot;The IOC has thanked her and offered her a trip to watch the Olympics in Rio,&quot; wrote Pinsent. 
 
&quot;Great. We&#39;d love to invite you for dinner, but you can only smell the food,&quot; he added sardonically. 
 
(AFP)

'IOC performed a "hospital pass" on Sunday in asking sports federations to decide who from the Russian team could compete in Rio'

Four-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent led a cacophony of British condemnation of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision not to ban the whole Russian team from next month's Rio Olympics. There would have been little place for the IOC or its president Thomas Bach to hide with the brickbats they received, the IOC being described as "spineless" and Bach being labelled -- among other things -- "a Pontius Pilate figure". Pinsent said the IOC performed a "hospital pass" on Sunday in asking sports federations to decide who from the Russian team could compete in Rio after the revelations of state-run doping directed from Moscow. "IOC has passed the buck -- pure and simple," wrote the 45-year-old Pinsent in The Times, whilst fellow rowing Olympic legend James Cracknell said the IOC "bottled it". Defending Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford also weighed in. "(The IOC's decision) is a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides," the 29-year-old told The Guardian newspaper. Athletics' world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), has banned the Russian track and field team from the Rio Games, which start in less than two weeks. "Athletics set the right sentiment for a clean and believable sport," said the outspoken Rutherford, who will defend his crown in Rio. "We're not there, we may never get there -- I am still very unhappy that many convicted cheats continue to compete -- but without a consequence for institutional-level actions how on earth do we expect to make any progress (on drug cheating)?" IOC president dubbed as 'weak leader' Another set to compete in Brazil, oarsman Andrew Triggs Hodge, wrote in The Times he would find it hard to believe that he would be competing against clean athletes. He could go up at the Olympics against three Russians who were part of a team disqualified when one of their number failed a dope test in July. "Thomas Bach, the IOC president, has shown extraordinarily weak leadership," wrote Triggs Hodge. "This was a moment in his career when he could define himself as an anti-doping champion. It needs someone of character, principle and mind to drive the IOC forward and he has completely neglected that." There was widespread sympathy too for Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, who served a two year-ban for doping and was informed by the IOC on Sunday she would not be allowed to compete at the Games. It was her disclosures about rampant Russian doping that sparked the scandal. "The IOC has thanked her and offered her a trip to watch the Olympics in Rio," wrote Pinsent. "Great. We'd love to invite you for dinner, but you can only smell the food," he added sardonically. (AFP)

Russia escapes Rio ban: British Olympians hit out at IOC

The crackdown on athletes caught up in recent doping scandals is a step in the right direction for the sport, Allyson Felix says, but the American sprinter is still worried it will not be a level playing field at next month&#39;s Rio Olympics. 
 
The 30-year-old qualified for her fourth Olympics earlier this month but will not be gunning for a 200-400 metres double after finishing fourth over the shorter distance at the US trials in Oregon. 
 
Athletics has been under the spotlight due to a doping scandal that saw Russia banned from competing in the sport at the Rio Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency report uncovered systematic abuse in the country. 
 
Kenya&#39;s team were also in danger of missing Rio before their government passed legislation that complied with anti-doping codes. 
 
&quot;The number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports,&quot; Felix told reporters in Beverley Hills. &quot;I would say that my confidence isn&#39;t high to think that there are not real issues.&nbsp;I would hope that the playing field is more level (but) it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete.&nbsp;You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure?&nbsp;I don&#39;t think that you can say that.&quot; 
 
Felix said athletics was working hard to clean up the sport. 
 
&quot;It is hard ... but I hope we are moving in the right direction,&quot; she added. &quot;I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction.&quot; 
 
Felix, who won the 200 at the London Games in 2012, had been attempting to do a 200-400 double at Rio but battled an ankle injury in the leadup to the trials in Oregon.&nbsp;The injury had affected her conditioning and she failed to qualify for the 200 by 0.01 seconds. 
 
&quot;I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with,&quot; she added.&nbsp;&quot;For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all.&nbsp;So it&#39;s pretty amazing to me that I&#39;m still going to Rio and while it doesn&#39;t look exactly how I hoped it would. But I&#39;m still going after it with everything I have.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'...My confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues...it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete'--Allyson Felix

The crackdown on athletes caught up in recent doping scandals is a step in the right direction for the sport, Allyson Felix says, but the American sprinter is still worried it will not be a level playing field at next month's Rio Olympics. The 30-year-old qualified for her fourth Olympics earlier this month but will not be gunning for a 200-400 metres double after finishing fourth over the shorter distance at the US trials in Oregon. Athletics has been under the spotlight due to a doping scandal that saw Russia banned from competing in the sport at the Rio Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency report uncovered systematic abuse in the country. Kenya's team were also in danger of missing Rio before their government passed legislation that complied with anti-doping codes. "The number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports," Felix told reporters in Beverley Hills. "I would say that my confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues. I would hope that the playing field is more level (but) it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete. You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure? I don't think that you can say that." Felix said athletics was working hard to clean up the sport. "It is hard ... but I hope we are moving in the right direction," she added. "I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction." Felix, who won the 200 at the London Games in 2012, had been attempting to do a 200-400 double at Rio but battled an ankle injury in the leadup to the trials in Oregon. The injury had affected her conditioning and she failed to qualify for the 200 by 0.01 seconds. "I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with," she added. "For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all. So it's pretty amazing to me that I'm still going to Rio and while it doesn't look exactly how I hoped it would. But I'm still going after it with everything I have." (Reuters)

American sprinter doubts Olympic competitors are clean

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil.&nbsp;The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find &quot;PokeStops&quot; stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. 
 
&quot;Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody&#39;s coming. You should come on down too,&quot; Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). 
 
Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. 
 
Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city&#39;s landmarks like Copacabana beach.&nbsp;Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America&#39;s first Olympics from August 5-21.&nbsp;Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. 
 
(AFP)

'Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too', said Mayor Eduardo Paes on Facebook

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil. The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find "PokeStops" stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. "Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too," Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city's landmarks like Copacabana beach. Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America's first Olympics from August 5-21. Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. (AFP)

Pokemon Go welcome at Rio Olympics, mayor says

Brazilian customs workers will start an indefinite strike on Thursday over wage increases, their union said today, just three weeks ahead of the Olympics when thousands of tourists are expected to flock the South American country.

The Sindifisco union of federal tax auditors, who are in charge of customs and other tax monitoring duties, voted on Friday for the strike to pressure the government to honour its promise to raise their wages by 5.5 per cent starting in August, union President Claudio Damasceno said in an interview.

A crippling political and economic crisis as well as the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have raised questions about Brazil&#39;s ability to successfully host the world&#39;s biggest sporting event for the first time ever in South America.

Local authorities expect more than 500,000 foreign tourists to land in the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, which start on August&nbsp;5.

&quot;If the strike continues by then it will certainly disrupt the Olympics,&quot; said Damasceno, whose union represents 10,400 tax auditors across the country. &quot;We know this is an important international event and hope that the government can resolve this issue before it starts.&quot;

Tax auditors plan to down tools every Tuesday and Thursday until the government issues a decree to raise their wages, Damasceno said.

The planning ministry said in a statement that it was reviewing wage agreements inked by suspended President Dilma Rousseff earlier this month.

Rousseff has been suspended while she faces an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking fiscal rules. She has been replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer.

The strike would cost the cash-strapped government about 1.5 billion Reais ($455 million) in tax revenue every month, Damasceno estimated. 
 
(Reuters)

A union of federal tax auditors aims to pressure the government to honour its promise to raise wages by 5.5% starting in August

Brazilian customs workers will start an indefinite strike on Thursday over wage increases, their union said today, just three weeks ahead of the Olympics when thousands of tourists are expected to flock the South American country. The Sindifisco union of federal tax auditors, who are in charge of customs and other tax monitoring duties, voted on Friday for the strike to pressure the government to honour its promise to raise their wages by 5.5 per cent starting in August, union President Claudio Damasceno said in an interview. A crippling political and economic crisis as well as the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have raised questions about Brazil's ability to successfully host the world's biggest sporting event for the first time ever in South America. Local authorities expect more than 500,000 foreign tourists to land in the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, which start on August 5. "If the strike continues by then it will certainly disrupt the Olympics," said Damasceno, whose union represents 10,400 tax auditors across the country. "We know this is an important international event and hope that the government can resolve this issue before it starts." Tax auditors plan to down tools every Tuesday and Thursday until the government issues a decree to raise their wages, Damasceno said. The planning ministry said in a statement that it was reviewing wage agreements inked by suspended President Dilma Rousseff earlier this month. Rousseff has been suspended while she faces an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking fiscal rules. She has been replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer. The strike would cost the cash-strapped government about 1.5 billion Reais ($455 million) in tax revenue every month, Damasceno estimated. (Reuters)

Brazil customs' workers to strike ahead of Olympics

Park In-Bee&#39;s chances of playing at the Rio Olympics golf tournament dimmed further on Tuesday after the South Korean world number three pulled out of an international team event due to a lingering thumb problem. 
 
The seven-times major champion, who was inducted into the LPGA&#39;s Hall of Fame earlier this month, has been plagued by injury this season and is without a victory in 10 starts. 
 
She has missed two cuts, withdrawn after the first round in three events, and posted her worst ever score as a professional, 12-over-par 84, in the first round of the LPGA Volvik Championship in May. 
 
Her management company said on Tuesday she would skip the July 22-24 International Crown event, which pits eight countries against each other at Merit Club, Illinois. 
 
&quot;Park In-bee notified the LPGA that she will be unable to attend the International Crown due to her left thumb injury,&quot; her management company, Galaxia SM, told Reuters. 
 
The 27-year-old, who has raked in almost $13 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour, said before the Women&#39;s PGA Championship this month that she would not go to Rio if she was not fully recovered from the injury. 
 
&quot;At the Olympics, you play for your country, not for individual honour. If I&#39;m not in top condition, I&#39;d rather give the opportunity to another player,&quot; she said. 
 
Park missed the cut at the event, carding an 8-over 79 in the second round. 
 
The top 15 players in the world rankings as of July 11 qualify automatically for the Rio Games, where golf is making its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence. Each country can send a maximum of four players. 
 
Currently, Kim Sei-Young, Chun In-Gee and Amy Young make up the other three places, but there are five more South Koreans in the top 20 battling for Olympic spots. 
 
(Reuters)

The 27-year-old said before the Women's PGA Championship this month that she would pull out of Rio if she hadn't recovered from injury

Park In-Bee's chances of playing at the Rio Olympics golf tournament dimmed further on Tuesday after the South Korean world number three pulled out of an international team event due to a lingering thumb problem. The seven-times major champion, who was inducted into the LPGA's Hall of Fame earlier this month, has been plagued by injury this season and is without a victory in 10 starts. She has missed two cuts, withdrawn after the first round in three events, and posted her worst ever score as a professional, 12-over-par 84, in the first round of the LPGA Volvik Championship in May. Her management company said on Tuesday she would skip the July 22-24 International Crown event, which pits eight countries against each other at Merit Club, Illinois. "Park In-bee notified the LPGA that she will be unable to attend the International Crown due to her left thumb injury," her management company, Galaxia SM, told Reuters. The 27-year-old, who has raked in almost $13 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour, said before the Women's PGA Championship this month that she would not go to Rio if she was not fully recovered from the injury. "At the Olympics, you play for your country, not for individual honour. If I'm not in top condition, I'd rather give the opportunity to another player," she said. Park missed the cut at the event, carding an 8-over 79 in the second round. The top 15 players in the world rankings as of July 11 qualify automatically for the Rio Games, where golf is making its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence. Each country can send a maximum of four players. Currently, Kim Sei-Young, Chun In-Gee and Amy Young make up the other three places, but there are five more South Koreans in the top 20 battling for Olympic spots. (Reuters)

Thumbs down for South Korean golfer Park's Rio dream

The Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) has turned down Park Tae-hwan&#39;s appeal to overturn a controversial doping suspension, leaving the swimmer&#39;s hopes of competing at the Rio Games in the hands of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 
 
The former Olympic champion has already served an 18-month ban imposed by the swimming&#39;s world governing body FINA. However, he is fighting to repeal a KOC regulation that imposed an additional three-year suspension, effectively ruling him out of Rio. 
 
The 26-year-old South Korean lodged a case with CAS but had hoped the KOC might re-consider its hard-line position before going to trial. 
 
The KOC poured cold water on such hopes on Thursday, saying the rule would remain in force. 
 
&quot;The regulation for the selection of national team representatives was made with the aim of demanding a high level of morality of our national team athletes and considering the dignity required of a public figure,&quot; the KOC said in a statement carried on South Korean television. &quot;Doping is against the fair play spirit, a basic requirement of athletes, and we decided that a rigorous response was needed for educational purposes to young athletes.&quot; 
 
Park, who won gold in the 400 metres freestyle and silver in the 200 at the 2008 Beijing Games, was expected to respond to the KOC&#39;s ruling at a media conference later on Thursday. The first Korean to win an Olympic swimming medal, Park&#39;s breakthrough in the Beijing pool made him a huge celebrity at home and a magnet for corporate sponsors. 
 
He finished runner-up in both the 200 and 400 at the London Games four years ago but his reputation was shattered when he tested positive for testosterone ahead of the 2014 Asian Games. Park attributed the failed test to an injection he received at a local clinic, where he said he was being treated for a skin complaint. 
 
Despite the KOC ban, Park entered national swimming trials in April and won all four of his races in times quick enough for Olympic qualification. 
 
Critics of the KOC&#39;s anti-doping regulation say it punishes an athlete twice for the same offence. CAS has previously struck down double-barrelled punishments for athletes banned for doping-related offences. 
 
In 2011, the Swiss-based tribunal ruled that the International Olympic Committee&#39;s &#39;Osaka Rule&#39;, which banned athletes serving suspensions of at least six months from competing at the next Games, violated its own statutes. 
(Reuters)

He enjoys celebrity status at home and has a number of corporate sponsorships

The Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) has turned down Park Tae-hwan's appeal to overturn a controversial doping suspension, leaving the swimmer's hopes of competing at the Rio Games in the hands of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The former Olympic champion has already served an 18-month ban imposed by the swimming's world governing body FINA. However, he is fighting to repeal a KOC regulation that imposed an additional three-year suspension, effectively ruling him out of Rio. The 26-year-old South Korean lodged a case with CAS but had hoped the KOC might re-consider its hard-line position before going to trial. The KOC poured cold water on such hopes on Thursday, saying the rule would remain in force. "The regulation for the selection of national team representatives was made with the aim of demanding a high level of morality of our national team athletes and considering the dignity required of a public figure," the KOC said in a statement carried on South Korean television. "Doping is against the fair play spirit, a basic requirement of athletes, and we decided that a rigorous response was needed for educational purposes to young athletes." Park, who won gold in the 400 metres freestyle and silver in the 200 at the 2008 Beijing Games, was expected to respond to the KOC's ruling at a media conference later on Thursday. The first Korean to win an Olympic swimming medal, Park's breakthrough in the Beijing pool made him a huge celebrity at home and a magnet for corporate sponsors. He finished runner-up in both the 200 and 400 at the London Games four years ago but his reputation was shattered when he tested positive for testosterone ahead of the 2014 Asian Games. Park attributed the failed test to an injection he received at a local clinic, where he said he was being treated for a skin complaint. Despite the KOC ban, Park entered national swimming trials in April and won all four of his races in times quick enough for Olympic qualification. Critics of the KOC's anti-doping regulation say it punishes an athlete twice for the same offence. CAS has previously struck down double-barrelled punishments for athletes banned for doping-related offences. In 2011, the Swiss-based tribunal ruled that the International Olympic Committee's 'Osaka Rule', which banned athletes serving suspensions of at least six months from competing at the next Games, violated its own statutes. (Reuters)

Korea's Olympic Committee turns down banned Park's Rio appeal

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