Wrestling had been one of India's most successful sports at the Olympics with 4 medals since Independence. Wrestling however was a male-dominated sport and female wrestlers were frowned upon in the state of Haryana. Sakshi Malik charted a journey against the odds at a very young age and at the Rio Olympics, she scripted an amazing comeback to win Bronze in the 58kg event. It ended India's wait for a medal at those Olympics and also shattered mindsets and opened the door for more parents to send their daughters to Wrestling arenas.

Wion Broadband Olympic Edition | Comeback Queen Sakshi Malik adds to India's Wrestling legacy at Rio

Gymnastics had always been on the margins of Indian sport and it was only Ashish Kumar's medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games that saw the sport being taken seriously. But within Indian Gymnastics it was all about the men and the female gymnasts were accorded step-motherly treatment. Dipa Karmakar harnessed that hurt and channeled it first to a Commonwealth Games medal in 2014 and then qualification for the Rio Olympics. Karmakar shocked the world by reaching the final of the Women's Vault and narrowly missed out on a medal. Karmakar looks back on her journey in this conversation with Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo and 2016 Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik

Wion Broadband Olympic Edition | The Small Wonder, Gymnast who stunned the world | Dipa Karmakar

A rare elephant seal delighted Rio's swimmers and surfers on Monday (July 13), gracing the city's southern beaches close to Ipanema.

Rare elephant seal delights beachgoers near Brazil's Ipanema

Resident of Rio de Janeiro's Tijuca neighborhood were treated to live music Wednesday (May 06) when members of the municipal guard band brought out their instruments for play for locals under lockdown.

'Happiness for the people' - Rio band plays tunes for residents under lockdown

Statues around monuments in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina have been covered with face masks to raise awareness among the pouplation, as the countries battle the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Face masks placed on statues in Rio and Buenos Aires to raise awareness amid pandemic

Several of Rio de Janeiro's elite samba schools paraded through the famed Sambadrome in a spectacular competition on Monday (February 24) in the hopes of winning bragging rights for this year's best display.

Rio shimmers for samba extravaganza at carnival

In Rio de Janeiro, the work goes in before the party goes on. With the world's largest carnival just ten days away, warehouses and workshops are putting the final touches in place for the city's biggest event. Floats are being painted, sequins are being glued and glitter painted onto costumes for the dazzling event that attracts millions to Rio de Janeiro's streets.

Feathers, sequins and glitter - Rio gets ready for carnival

A gunman holding a busload of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-in-brazil-holds-hostages-in-bus-police-on-alert-244401">passengers hostage</a> in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday was shot dead by police, local media reported, ending the hours-long hijacking.

Reports said the passengers on the bus were unhurt.

At least 16 people were trapped on the bus after it was commandeered by the gunman on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with the neighbouring city of Niteroi.

At least six people -&nbsp;four women and two men -&nbsp;were freed by the gunman who stopped the vehicle on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with neighbouring city Niteroi.

Heavily armed police including military and snipers surrounded the bus as they negotiated with the gunman.&nbsp;

The gunman reportedly boarded the Rio-bound bus at 5:30 am (0830 GMT) and began threatening passengers.&nbsp;

Several lanes of traffic on the busy Rio-Niteroi bridge spanning Guanabara Bay were paralysed during the hostage situation.

Rio state Governor Wilson Witzel said: "The absolute priority is the protection of hostages."&nbsp;

The gunman -&nbsp;a young man wearing a white T-shirt and dark-coloured trousers --&nbsp;poked his head out of the bus at one point, showing his face, footage from local TV channel revealed.

In 2000, a gunman stormed a passenger bus in a fashionable neighbourhood of the city. The hours-long hijacking of bus 174 was later turned into an award-winning documentary.&nbsp;

The hijacker and one hostage were killed. 
&nbsp;

A gunman holding a busload of passengers hostage in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday was shot dead by police, local media reported, ending the hours-long hijacking. Reports said the passengers on the bus were unhurt.

A gunman holding a busload of passengers hostage in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday was shot dead by police, local media reported, ending the hours-long hijacking. Reports said the passengers on the bus were unhurt. At least 16 people were trapped on the bus after it was commandeered by the gunman on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with the neighbouring city of Niteroi. At least six people - four women and two men - were freed by the gunman who stopped the vehicle on a heavily transited bridge connecting Rio with neighbouring city Niteroi. Heavily armed police including military and snipers surrounded the bus as they negotiated with the gunman. The gunman reportedly boarded the Rio-bound bus at 5:30 am (0830 GMT) and began threatening passengers. Several lanes of traffic on the busy Rio-Niteroi bridge spanning Guanabara Bay were paralysed during the hostage situation. Rio state Governor Wilson Witzel said: "The absolute priority is the protection of hostages." The gunman - a young man wearing a white T-shirt and dark-coloured trousers -- poked his head out of the bus at one point, showing his face, footage from local TV channel revealed. In 2000, a gunman stormed a passenger bus in a fashionable neighbourhood of the city. The hours-long hijacking of bus 174 was later turned into an award-winning documentary. The hijacker and one hostage were killed.

Brazil bus hijacker shot by police; passengers unhurt

As <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-medals-unveiled-a-year-before-games-238165&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwit3Ibe9c_jAhVr6XMBHbRXALsQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw32CPD1RrfrmBTHqwYdqa2V">Tokyo 2020 Olympics</a> preparations enter their final stage, officials are touting the city's readiness, but activists and workers groups say speedy venue construction has had dangerous consequences.

The Olympic opening ceremony is now less than a year away and more than half the new venues being built for the Games are already complete.

"We are where we want to be," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike confidently told reporters earlier this month.

But some argue the city has kept on schedule at the cost of the health and safety of the thousands of workers building the sites.

An official tally shows there have been at least two deaths linked to Olympics construction in Tokyo.

In 2017, a 23-year-old Olympic stadium worker killed himself after clocking nearly 200 hours of overtime the month before, with the local labour office recognising his suicide as a case of death from overwork, a phenomenon known as "karoshi".

The following year, a man was crushed to death between a crane and scaffolding.

Fourteen people have also been injured during construction, according to official records through the end of 2018.

But while London had a near-perfect construction safety record for the 2012 Games, Tokyo is still doing significantly better than other Olympic hosts.

In Rio, at least 11 people were killed during construction for the Games, and in Beijing, authorities acknowledged at least six deaths but media reports said more than 10 people were killed.

Too busy

 
Still, workers in Tokyo say they are being squeezed by the twin pressures of labour shortages and a tight schedule.

"The work is hard," said one veteran contractor in his sixties, who works as a sub-subcontractor on a project to build the Olympic Village.

He said manpower was about 40 percent short, and the pressure to stay on schedule has led to safety shortcuts.

He described days when he and his colleagues continued to work as a crane arm clutching a huge block of concrete moved overhead. They didn't move even after safety whistles were blown.

"We were too busy," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"It's like an assembly line for cars. You have to install the hoods no matter what because those putting in the windshields are waiting next."

They would only move when labour office inspectors came over.

"The breaks resulted in us being forced to hurry even more for the rest of the day, only increasing the risks," he said.

Labour unions say the problems with Olympic construction reflect issues in the industry in Japan more broadly, including the widespread use of multiple subcontractors who have little power to protest poor conditions.

Six-day workweeks are common, and the ageing country's labour shortage means workers are stretched thin.

One in four workers in Japan's construction industry is 60 or older, far outstripping the number of workers aged 30 or younger.

Overwork is also a problem for workers in other industries, despite government efforts to address excessive hours.

Conditions are really good

 
The conditions have raised concern among labour activists.

In May, the Building and Wood Worker's International union reported "alarming" testimony from 40 workers building the new national stadium and Olympic village.

The report warned of "dangerous patterns of overwork" and alleged some workers had been forced to buy their protective equipment.

It said workers described unsafe conditions and that half of those interviewed did not have formal contracts -- a situation not illegal in Japan but uncommon in industrialised countries.

It also accused employers of creating a "culture of fear" with workers afraid of losing their jobs if they complained or reported problems.

Olympic organisers, along with the Tokyo local government and the Japan Sport Council (JSC) in charge of building the new stadium, said they are discussing the report with BWI.

JSC vice president Jugo Imaizumi said he thought there had been a "misunderstanding".

"Many people who came back here after working elsewhere say they realised conditions here are really good," Imaizumi told AFP.

Olympics worksites close at night to prevent overwork and employees have Sundays off, he added.

Officials also say only a handful of complaints have been submitted to the Tokyo local government and Olympic organising committee.

But labour officials said that is merely evidence of workers' reluctance to speak up because although they can request anonymity they are required to submit their name and phone number when filing a complaint.

"Their logic is that since there is no filing of complaints, there is no problem," a labour union official near Tokyo told AFP.&nbsp;

"The system is just to establish an 'alibi' for them."

As Tokyo 2020 Olympics preparations enter their final stage, officials are touting the city's readiness, but activists and workers groups say speedy venue construction has had dangerous consequences.

As Tokyo 2020 Olympics preparations enter their final stage, officials are touting the city's readiness, but activists and workers groups say speedy venue construction has had dangerous consequences. The Olympic opening ceremony is now less than a year away and more than half the new venues being built for the Games are already complete. "We are where we want to be," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike confidently told reporters earlier this month. But some argue the city has kept on schedule at the cost of the health and safety of the thousands of workers building the sites. An official tally shows there have been at least two deaths linked to Olympics construction in Tokyo. In 2017, a 23-year-old Olympic stadium worker killed himself after clocking nearly 200 hours of overtime the month before, with the local labour office recognising his suicide as a case of death from overwork, a phenomenon known as "karoshi". The following year, a man was crushed to death between a crane and scaffolding. Fourteen people have also been injured during construction, according to official records through the end of 2018. But while London had a near-perfect construction safety record for the 2012 Games, Tokyo is still doing significantly better than other Olympic hosts. In Rio, at least 11 people were killed during construction for the Games, and in Beijing, authorities acknowledged at least six deaths but media reports said more than 10 people were killed. Too busy Still, workers in Tokyo say they are being squeezed by the twin pressures of labour shortages and a tight schedule. "The work is hard," said one veteran contractor in his sixties, who works as a sub-subcontractor on a project to build the Olympic Village. He said manpower was about 40 percent short, and the pressure to stay on schedule has led to safety shortcuts. He described days when he and his colleagues continued to work as a crane arm clutching a huge block of concrete moved overhead. They didn't move even after safety whistles were blown. "We were too busy," he told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It's like an assembly line for cars. You have to install the hoods no matter what because those putting in the windshields are waiting next." They would only move when labour office inspectors came over. "The breaks resulted in us being forced to hurry even more for the rest of the day, only increasing the risks," he said. Labour unions say the problems with Olympic construction reflect issues in the industry in Japan more broadly, including the widespread use of multiple subcontractors who have little power to protest poor conditions. Six-day workweeks are common, and the ageing country's labour shortage means workers are stretched thin. One in four workers in Japan's construction industry is 60 or older, far outstripping the number of workers aged 30 or younger. Overwork is also a problem for workers in other industries, despite government efforts to address excessive hours. Conditions are really good The conditions have raised concern among labour activists. In May, the Building and Wood Worker's International union reported "alarming" testimony from 40 workers building the new national stadium and Olympic village. The report warned of "dangerous patterns of overwork" and alleged some workers had been forced to buy their protective equipment. It said workers described unsafe conditions and that half of those interviewed did not have formal contracts -- a situation not illegal in Japan but uncommon in industrialised countries. It also accused employers of creating a "culture of fear" with workers afraid of losing their jobs if they complained or reported problems. Olympic organisers, along with the Tokyo local government and the Japan Sport Council (JSC) in charge of building the new stadium, said they are discussing the report with BWI. JSC vice president Jugo Imaizumi said he thought there had been a "misunderstanding". "Many people who came back here after working elsewhere say they realised conditions here are really good," Imaizumi told AFP. Olympics worksites close at night to prevent overwork and employees have Sundays off, he added. Officials also say only a handful of complaints have been submitted to the Tokyo local government and Olympic organising committee. But labour officials said that is merely evidence of workers' reluctance to speak up because although they can request anonymity they are required to submit their name and phone number when filing a complaint. "Their logic is that since there is no filing of complaints, there is no problem," a labour union official near Tokyo told AFP. "The system is just to establish an 'alibi' for them."

Tokyo Olympic construction race raises worker safety questions

The state security chief for Brazil&rsquo;s Rio de Janeiro, Jose Mariano Beltrame, who was behind a controversial &quot;pacification&quot; plan for impoverished neighbourhoods, resigned on Tuesday following a spike in violent crimes.&nbsp;

Beltrame, a former police officer, was lauded because of reduced violence in recent years and inroads against criminal gangs in Rio.&nbsp;

In the post since 2007, Beltrame is best known for creating the so-called Police Pacification Units (UPPs) to crack down on drug gangs that had seised control of the impoverished slums that dot the Brazilian capital.

Starting in 2008, UPPs were set up in 264 slums, in a bid to restore law and order in the city ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

Beltrame&rsquo;s resignation came in only a day after gun battles between police and drug traffickers killed at least three people and wounded five in two slums in the neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema, the kind of incident the UPPs were meant to stop.

Beltrame had long pleaded for money for &quot;phase two&quot; of the pacification plan, in which the Brazilian government was to fund schools and clinics in the slums in an effort to turn short-term security gains into long-term ones.

Rio Governor Luiz Fernando Pez&atilde;o,told Reuters the state reluctantly accepted Beltrame&#39;s resignation. &quot;It was 10 years of service, lots of wear and lots of pressure,&quot; Pez&atilde;o said. &nbsp;

Beltrame will be replaced by his deputy, Roberto Sa, starting Monday, the state government said.

Violent crime has been on the rise in Rio in recent months, exacerbated by a severe budget crisis.The state security budget was cut by 30 per cent this year, AFP reported.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The state security budget was cut by 30 per cent this year, fuelling a spike in violent crime in the Brazilian capital

The state security chief for Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, Jose Mariano Beltrame, who was behind a controversial "pacification" plan for impoverished neighbourhoods, resigned on Tuesday following a spike in violent crimes. Beltrame, a former police officer, was lauded because of reduced violence in recent years and inroads against criminal gangs in Rio. In the post since 2007, Beltrame is best known for creating the so-called Police Pacification Units (UPPs) to crack down on drug gangs that had seised control of the impoverished slums that dot the Brazilian capital. Starting in 2008, UPPs were set up in 264 slums, in a bid to restore law and order in the city ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. Beltrame’s resignation came in only a day after gun battles between police and drug traffickers killed at least three people and wounded five in two slums in the neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema, the kind of incident the UPPs were meant to stop. Beltrame had long pleaded for money for "phase two" of the pacification plan, in which the Brazilian government was to fund schools and clinics in the slums in an effort to turn short-term security gains into long-term ones. Rio Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão,told Reuters the state reluctantly accepted Beltrame's resignation. "It was 10 years of service, lots of wear and lots of pressure," Pezão said. Beltrame will be replaced by his deputy, Roberto Sa, starting Monday, the state government said. Violent crime has been on the rise in Rio in recent months, exacerbated by a severe budget crisis.The state security budget was cut by 30 per cent this year, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Brazil: Rio security chief quits amid surge in violent crime

Egypt&#39;s Ibrahim Hamadtou with no arms represented his country at the Paralympic Games of Rio 2016. The 43-year-old became a YouTube sensation after he showcased his amazing athletic skills, clenching the paddle between his teeth.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_g0957-20160927074021.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Ibrahim Hamad (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Ibrahim lost his arms as a kid in a train accident when he was ten years old but never lost passion for the sport. As a kid he stayed at home for three years out of embarrassment&nbsp;but challenged himself to overcome his physical disability. Working his way out of depression, he practiced day in and out to use to use his disability to his advantage. It took him a while to hold a TT bat with his mouth but has now become a world-class player and a Paralympian to top it. 
&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aDdh2439hnU" width="560"></iframe>

(Source: ITTF official YouTube channel) 
 
Ibrahim is a symbol of inspiration for many like him who want to go beyond adversities to make a name for themselves. Though he didn&rsquo;t collect any medal&nbsp;at the Paralympic Games, his life is nothing short of achieving the unattainable.&nbsp;

Ibrahim Hamadtou, who hails from Egypt, is an inspiration for all

Egypt's Ibrahim Hamadtou with no arms represented his country at the Paralympic Games of Rio 2016. The 43-year-old became a YouTube sensation after he showcased his amazing athletic skills, clenching the paddle between his teeth. Ibrahim Hamad (AFP) × Ibrahim lost his arms as a kid in a train accident when he was ten years old but never lost passion for the sport. As a kid he stayed at home for three years out of embarrassment but challenged himself to overcome his physical disability. Working his way out of depression, he practiced day in and out to use to use his disability to his advantage. It took him a while to hold a TT bat with his mouth but has now become a world-class player and a Paralympian to top it. (Source: ITTF official YouTube channel) Ibrahim is a symbol of inspiration for many like him who want to go beyond adversities to make a name for themselves. Though he didn’t collect any medal at the Paralympic Games, his life is nothing short of achieving the unattainable.

#BeTheChange: He plays table tennis with his mouth and foot

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia scripted history on Tuesday as he became the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the Rio Paralympics after he broke his own world record.&nbsp; 
 
The 36-year-old, who won the top honour in the men&#39;s F46 category, &nbsp;won his previous gold at the 2004 Athens Games. He bettered his own world record to finish on top with a throw of 63.97 at the Olympic Stadium. 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter today to congratulate Devendra. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;Congratulations to Devendra Jhajharia for the historic and well-deserved Gold at the Paralympics. We are very proud of him,&quot; &nbsp;he said.&nbsp; 
 
While Guo Chunliang of China (59.93 metres) won silver, Sri Lanka&#39;s Dinesh Herath (58.23 metres) bagged bronze, respectively, at the event. &nbsp; 
 
On the other hand, 17 year-old Rinku could only finish fifth in the same event despite securing a personal best throw of 54.39m. 
 
With this remarkable feat, Devendra has become the only Indian to win two golds in an individual event at the Olympics or Paralympics. 
 
Devendra had his arm severed after he accidentally touched a 11,000 volt live cable at the age of eight. 
 
India&#39;s medal tally at the Paralympics event has now increased to four. &nbsp; 
 
Earlier, Mariyappan Thangavelu had won gold in the men&#39;s high jump, while Varun Bhati had secured a bronze in the same event. 
 
Shot putter Deepa Malik also created history, becoming the first Indian female paralympian to win a medal&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The javelin thrower broke his own world record at the Rio Games and became the first Indian to win two gold medals

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia scripted history on Tuesday as he became the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the Rio Paralympics after he broke his own world record. The 36-year-old, who won the top honour in the men's F46 category, won his previous gold at the 2004 Athens Games. He bettered his own world record to finish on top with a throw of 63.97 at the Olympic Stadium. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter today to congratulate Devendra. "Congratulations to Devendra Jhajharia for the historic and well-deserved Gold at the Paralympics. We are very proud of him," he said. While Guo Chunliang of China (59.93 metres) won silver, Sri Lanka's Dinesh Herath (58.23 metres) bagged bronze, respectively, at the event. On the other hand, 17 year-old Rinku could only finish fifth in the same event despite securing a personal best throw of 54.39m. With this remarkable feat, Devendra has become the only Indian to win two golds in an individual event at the Olympics or Paralympics. Devendra had his arm severed after he accidentally touched a 11,000 volt live cable at the age of eight. India's medal tally at the Paralympics event has now increased to four. Earlier, Mariyappan Thangavelu had won gold in the men's high jump, while Varun Bhati had secured a bronze in the same event. Shot putter Deepa Malik also created history, becoming the first Indian female paralympian to win a medal (WION with inputs from agencies)

Rio Paralympics: India's Devendra Jhajharia makes history, clinches two golds

Narsingh Yadav&#39;s Olympic dream seems to have come to an end with the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholding the World Anti Doping Agency&#39;s (WADA) appeal against the clean chit given to him in a doping violation case. 
 
The ad hoc division of the CAS, which met here on Thursday to hear the WADA&#39;s appeal against the clearance to Narsingh by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) also slapped a four-year ban on the Mumbai wrestler. 
 
&quot;WADA filed an urgent application before the CAS ad hoc Division to challenge the decision of NADA India to exonerate Narsingh Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests with methandienone on June 25 and July 5. The athlete asserted that he was the victim of sabotage (food/drink tampering) by another person. WADA requested that a four-year period of ineligibility be imposed on the athlete,&quot; the CAS said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The CAS panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore the standard four-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the panel,&quot; the statement added. 
 
(IANS)

The CAS panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was a victim of sabotage

Narsingh Yadav's Olympic dream seems to have come to an end with the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholding the World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal against the clean chit given to him in a doping violation case. The ad hoc division of the CAS, which met here on Thursday to hear the WADA's appeal against the clearance to Narsingh by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) also slapped a four-year ban on the Mumbai wrestler. "WADA filed an urgent application before the CAS ad hoc Division to challenge the decision of NADA India to exonerate Narsingh Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests with methandienone on June 25 and July 5. The athlete asserted that he was the victim of sabotage (food/drink tampering) by another person. WADA requested that a four-year period of ineligibility be imposed on the athlete," the CAS said in a statement. "The CAS panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore the standard four-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the panel," the statement added. (IANS)

Rio Olympics 2016: CAS slaps four-year ban on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav

Brazilian police on Wednesday arrested top International Olympic&nbsp;Committee member Patrick Hickey as part of an operation against&nbsp;black market Rio Olympics tickets. 
 
The 71-year-old head of the European Olympic Committees and&nbsp;Ireland&#39;s national committee, was detained at dawn at a luxury Rio&nbsp;hotel where he is staying with other IOC members, police said. 
 
According to Brazilian media, Hickey tried to escape when the&nbsp;operation was launched. 
 
Pictures shown by ESPN Brazil showed Hickey speaking to police in&nbsp;a bath robe in his room. 
 
Hickey was taken away from the hotel in an ambulance at about&nbsp;7 am and was expected to spend the night in hospital, IOC&nbsp;spokesman Mark Adams and police said. 
 
He has been accused of ticket scalping, ambush marketing and&nbsp;conspiracy. Prosecutors have estimated the profits from the black&nbsp;market sales at $3 million dollars. 
 
&quot;We will be fully cooperating with any police investigation,&quot;&nbsp;Adams told a press conference. 
 
&quot;Mr Hickey is entitled for the world and everyone to believe he is&nbsp;innocent until proven guilty,&quot; he added. &quot;Let&#39;s not jump the gun&nbsp;on this one.&quot; 
 
Brazilian police have launched a widening investigation after&nbsp;seizing more than 1,000 premier tickets for Games events,&nbsp;including the opening ceremony. 
 
Tickets with a face value of about $1,000 dollars were sold for&nbsp;more than $8,000. 
 
Some of the tickets had the Olympic Council of Ireland name on&nbsp;them. The OCI would only say that it was &quot;seeking total clarity on 
the situation&quot; before commenting. 
 
Kevin James Mallon, a director of THG Sports, was arrested in Rio&nbsp;on August 5 in possession of the tickets. 
 
THG Sports was licensed to resell London 2012 and Sochi 2014&nbsp;Olympic tickets. Hickey&#39;s son Stephen used to work at THG. 
 
Another THG staffer was arrested in Brazil in 2014 over the&nbsp;reselling of World Cup tickets. 
 
Brazilian prosecutors issued warrants for Hickey and other figures&nbsp;including Marcus Evans, a British hospitality businessman and&nbsp;owner of English Championship football club Ipswich.Hickey has&nbsp;been a member of the IOC executive board since 2012. As head of&nbsp;the European body he has been instrumental in setting up the&nbsp;European Games which was first held in Baku, Azerbaijan, last&nbsp;year. 
 
The arrest has echoes of a police raid on a FIFA hotel in Zurich&nbsp;last year in which seven officials of the football governing body&nbsp;were held on corruption charges. It will come as a blow to the IOC&nbsp;which has made anti-corruption efforts a priority since a bribery&nbsp;scandal around the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. 
 
Six IOC members were expelled after the scandal. Hickey senior denied any connection to THG in an interview last&nbsp;week with Irish broadcaster RTE. 
 
&quot;There is no impropriety whatsoever from anyone within the OCI or&nbsp;myself in the dealing of tickets. I want to re-assure you of that&nbsp;100 percent,&quot; Hickey said. 
 
&quot;I am fully expecting we, the OCI, will come out of it with a&nbsp;fully clear bill of health.&quot; 
 
Brazilian police are also looking for an executive with Pro10&nbsp;Sports Management, an Irish company based in Lucan which was&nbsp;appointed by the OCI as its authorised ticket re-seller in&nbsp;Ireland. 
 
Pro10 said the tickets Mallon had in his possession were held for&nbsp;collection by Irish and other European customers who had purchased&nbsp;them at face value, plus a commission. 
 
In a statement they called allegations against the company&nbsp;&quot;utterly untrue.&quot; 
 
&quot;Pro10 is appalled that allegations are being made against the&nbsp;company without any attempt to ascertain the facts. The Brazilian&nbsp;authorities seem to be dealing with these extremely serious&nbsp;allegations through the media and no contact has been made with&nbsp;ro10,&quot; it said.

Patrick Hickey has been accused of ticket scalping, ambush marketing and?conspiracy

Brazilian police on Wednesday arrested top International Olympic Committee member Patrick Hickey as part of an operation against black market Rio Olympics tickets. The 71-year-old head of the European Olympic Committees and Ireland's national committee, was detained at dawn at a luxury Rio hotel where he is staying with other IOC members, police said. According to Brazilian media, Hickey tried to escape when the operation was launched. Pictures shown by ESPN Brazil showed Hickey speaking to police in a bath robe in his room. Hickey was taken away from the hotel in an ambulance at about 7 am and was expected to spend the night in hospital, IOC spokesman Mark Adams and police said. He has been accused of ticket scalping, ambush marketing and conspiracy. Prosecutors have estimated the profits from the black market sales at $3 million dollars. "We will be fully cooperating with any police investigation," Adams told a press conference. "Mr Hickey is entitled for the world and everyone to believe he is innocent until proven guilty," he added. "Let's not jump the gun on this one." Brazilian police have launched a widening investigation after seizing more than 1,000 premier tickets for Games events, including the opening ceremony. Tickets with a face value of about $1,000 dollars were sold for more than $8,000. Some of the tickets had the Olympic Council of Ireland name on them. The OCI would only say that it was "seeking total clarity on the situation" before commenting. Kevin James Mallon, a director of THG Sports, was arrested in Rio on August 5 in possession of the tickets. THG Sports was licensed to resell London 2012 and Sochi 2014 Olympic tickets. Hickey's son Stephen used to work at THG. Another THG staffer was arrested in Brazil in 2014 over the reselling of World Cup tickets. Brazilian prosecutors issued warrants for Hickey and other figures including Marcus Evans, a British hospitality businessman and owner of English Championship football club Ipswich.Hickey has been a member of the IOC executive board since 2012. As head of the European body he has been instrumental in setting up the European Games which was first held in Baku, Azerbaijan, last year. The arrest has echoes of a police raid on a FIFA hotel in Zurich last year in which seven officials of the football governing body were held on corruption charges. It will come as a blow to the IOC which has made anti-corruption efforts a priority since a bribery scandal around the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Six IOC members were expelled after the scandal. Hickey senior denied any connection to THG in an interview last week with Irish broadcaster RTE. "There is no impropriety whatsoever from anyone within the OCI or myself in the dealing of tickets. I want to re-assure you of that 100 percent," Hickey said. "I am fully expecting we, the OCI, will come out of it with a fully clear bill of health." Brazilian police are also looking for an executive with Pro10 Sports Management, an Irish company based in Lucan which was appointed by the OCI as its authorised ticket re-seller in Ireland. Pro10 said the tickets Mallon had in his possession were held for collection by Irish and other European customers who had purchased them at face value, plus a commission. In a statement they called allegations against the company "utterly untrue." "Pro10 is appalled that allegations are being made against the company without any attempt to ascertain the facts. The Brazilian authorities seem to be dealing with these extremely serious allegations through the media and no contact has been made with ro10," it said.

Rio Olympics 2016: European Olympic Committee chief arrested over black market tickets

Indian shuttler P V Sindhu caused a huge upset, stunning World No 2 Wang Yihan of China in straight games to enter the semi-finals of the women&#39;s singles category at the ongoing Rio Olympics. 
 
Faced with a much higher rated opponent, the 21-year-old from Hyderabad scripted a 22-20, 21-19 victory over the former World No 1 at the Riocentro Pavilion 4 here on Tuesday. 
 
(IANS)

Sindhu became only the second Indian woman to reach the badminton semi-final of Olympic Games

Indian shuttler P V Sindhu caused a huge upset, stunning World No 2 Wang Yihan of China in straight games to enter the semi-finals of the women's singles category at the ongoing Rio Olympics. Faced with a much higher rated opponent, the 21-year-old from Hyderabad scripted a 22-20, 21-19 victory over the former World No 1 at the Riocentro Pavilion 4 here on Tuesday. (IANS)

Rio Olympics 2016: India's PV Sindhu enters badminton semi-finals

An overhead television camera suspended by cables crashed to the ground in the Olympic Park on Monday, injuring seven people including two children, in the latest of a string of mishaps to hit South America&#39;s first Games. 
 
No one was badly hurt in the accident, which comes as another embarrassment for organisers already facing safety concerns after the armed robbery of US gold medallist swimmer Ryan Lochte and three of his team mates at the weekend as well as the robberies of two visiting government ministers. 
 
The aerial camera, encased in a heavy black cover, belonged to the official Olympics broadcast unit and fell about 20 metres (65 ft) after cables snapped, sending screams through the crowd, witnesses and officials said. 
 
&quot;I was looking to the camera ... and suddenly I heard a big snap on the cable and the camera came down,&quot; said visitor Chris Adams, a member of the British gymnastics delegation. 
 
A Brazilian television news report showed two women looking dazed, sitting on the ground near the camera. One woman, bleeding from the face as medics arrived, was taken away on a stretcher. The other walked from the scene wearing a neck brace. 
 
A total of four people were taken to hospital after the incident, including two children who had been hit by a cable, a Rio Games official said. All were expected to be discharged from hospital later on Monday, the official said. 
 
One of the camera&#39;s cables had already broken before it fell and a walkway directly beneath had been cordoned off while the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) unit arranged for a cherry-picker to go to the scene and hoist someone up to it, OBS said. 
 
But the camera came down at an angle, falling outside the cordon, said Adams, the British visitor, who was taking pictures of the park at the time. 
 
&quot;There was a lot of medical people and Rio staff around. They were very, very quick, they were excellent.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The aerial camera, encased in a heavy black cover, belonged to the official Olympics broadcast unit

An overhead television camera suspended by cables crashed to the ground in the Olympic Park on Monday, injuring seven people including two children, in the latest of a string of mishaps to hit South America's first Games. No one was badly hurt in the accident, which comes as another embarrassment for organisers already facing safety concerns after the armed robbery of US gold medallist swimmer Ryan Lochte and three of his team mates at the weekend as well as the robberies of two visiting government ministers. The aerial camera, encased in a heavy black cover, belonged to the official Olympics broadcast unit and fell about 20 metres (65 ft) after cables snapped, sending screams through the crowd, witnesses and officials said. "I was looking to the camera ... and suddenly I heard a big snap on the cable and the camera came down," said visitor Chris Adams, a member of the British gymnastics delegation. A Brazilian television news report showed two women looking dazed, sitting on the ground near the camera. One woman, bleeding from the face as medics arrived, was taken away on a stretcher. The other walked from the scene wearing a neck brace. A total of four people were taken to hospital after the incident, including two children who had been hit by a cable, a Rio Games official said. All were expected to be discharged from hospital later on Monday, the official said. One of the camera's cables had already broken before it fell and a walkway directly beneath had been cordoned off while the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) unit arranged for a cherry-picker to go to the scene and hoist someone up to it, OBS said. But the camera came down at an angle, falling outside the cordon, said Adams, the British visitor, who was taking pictures of the park at the time. "There was a lot of medical people and Rio staff around. They were very, very quick, they were excellent." (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Overhead camera falls into Olympic Park injuring 7

Usain Bolt roared into Olympic history here Sunday, capturing an unprecedented third consecutive 100m crown to confirm his place in the pantheon of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old Jamaican legend, competing in his final Olympics, powered over the line in 9.81seconds, vanquishing drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin who took silver, with Andre De Grasse of Canada claiming bronze. 
 
(AFP)

The 29-year-old Jamaican, competing in his final Olympics, scored a time of 9.81 seconds to beat drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin

Usain Bolt roared into Olympic history here Sunday, capturing an unprecedented third consecutive 100m crown to confirm his place in the pantheon of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. The 29-year-old Jamaican legend, competing in his final Olympics, powered over the line in 9.81seconds, vanquishing drug-tainted American rival Justin Gatlin who took silver, with Andre De Grasse of Canada claiming bronze. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Bolt makes history with third 100m gold

Denmark&#39;s Pernille Blume beat the favourites to win the 50 metres freestyle in 24.07 seconds on Saturday and give her country a first Olympic swimming gold medal since 1948. 
 
Simone Manuel of the United States, who won 100 freestyle gold in a dead-heat with Canada&#39;s Penny Oleksiak, was just 0.02 behind for silver while Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus took the bronze in 24.11. 
 
Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the 2012 Olympic champion from the Netherlands, finished sixth while Australia&#39;s Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte again failed to medal in an individual sprint. 
 
Britain&#39;s Fran Halsall finished fourth in 24.13. 
 
&#39;It&#39;s been completely unreal for me&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The gold was Denmark&#39;s third in swimming, and Blume&#39;s first of any colour at an Olympics. The other two were won by Karen-Margrete Harup (100m backstroke) and Greta Anderson (100m freestyle) at the 1948 London Games. 
 
But Blume was more excited about the last 48 hours. 
 
&quot;Its been completely unreal for me,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;The gold medal means so much, but also to the team because we had such an amazing energy in the call room,&quot; she told reporters after anchoring Denmark to a bronze medal in the 4x100 medley relay about 45 minutes after the 50 freestyle. 
 
&quot;It has just been four years of hard work ... we did a really good job as a team,&quot; added the 22-year-old, who took a break from swimming about eight months ago to &quot;figure out how to enjoy what I&#39;m doing most. 
 
&quot;It was really important for me to take some time out and just clear my head and come back in the pool with new energy. I&#39;m so happy that I actually came back in the pool. It&#39;s been an incredible journey.&quot; 
 
Denmark&#39;s last previous Olympic swimming medal was Lotte Friis&#39;s bronze in 800 freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 
 
Blume&#39;s time was 0.02 off Kromowidjojo&#39;s Olympic record, set in London four years ago, and the second fastest in the event this year. 
 
Faced an intimidating array of rivals&nbsp; 
 
She had been fastest qualifier in the heats and semi-finals but faced an intimidating array of rivals on the blocks before the quick thrash down the pool. 
 
Cate Campbell, the 100 freestyle world record holder, swam 23.84 in Adelaide in April but again failed to hit top form in the final individual women&#39;s event of the competition. 
 
She and Bronte, the world champion for the 50 and 100 freestyle, won gold together in the 4x100 freestyle relay on the opening Saturday but will go home without individual titles. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a tough week, there is no denying,&quot; said Cate, speaking after ending the meet with a silver in the 4x100 medley. 
 
&quot;The 50 is kind of a lottery and it just hasn&#39;t been my week obviously. My number wasn&#39;t up this time. I couldn&#39;t be too disappointed. It&#39;s 0.3 off my best but I&#39;ve only swum that time once, and when I was in amazing form. 
 
&quot;I executed a good race and I can&#39;t be too hard on myself.&quot; 
 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

'It has just been four years of hard work ... we did a really good job as a team,' asserted the 22-year-old

Denmark's Pernille Blume beat the favourites to win the 50 metres freestyle in 24.07 seconds on Saturday and give her country a first Olympic swimming gold medal since 1948. Simone Manuel of the United States, who won 100 freestyle gold in a dead-heat with Canada's Penny Oleksiak, was just 0.02 behind for silver while Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus took the bronze in 24.11. Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the 2012 Olympic champion from the Netherlands, finished sixth while Australia's Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte again failed to medal in an individual sprint. Britain's Fran Halsall finished fourth in 24.13. 'It's been completely unreal for me' The gold was Denmark's third in swimming, and Blume's first of any colour at an Olympics. The other two were won by Karen-Margrete Harup (100m backstroke) and Greta Anderson (100m freestyle) at the 1948 London Games. But Blume was more excited about the last 48 hours. "Its been completely unreal for me," she said. "The gold medal means so much, but also to the team because we had such an amazing energy in the call room," she told reporters after anchoring Denmark to a bronze medal in the 4x100 medley relay about 45 minutes after the 50 freestyle. "It has just been four years of hard work ... we did a really good job as a team," added the 22-year-old, who took a break from swimming about eight months ago to "figure out how to enjoy what I'm doing most. "It was really important for me to take some time out and just clear my head and come back in the pool with new energy. I'm so happy that I actually came back in the pool. It's been an incredible journey." Denmark's last previous Olympic swimming medal was Lotte Friis's bronze in 800 freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Blume's time was 0.02 off Kromowidjojo's Olympic record, set in London four years ago, and the second fastest in the event this year. Faced an intimidating array of rivals She had been fastest qualifier in the heats and semi-finals but faced an intimidating array of rivals on the blocks before the quick thrash down the pool. Cate Campbell, the 100 freestyle world record holder, swam 23.84 in Adelaide in April but again failed to hit top form in the final individual women's event of the competition. She and Bronte, the world champion for the 50 and 100 freestyle, won gold together in the 4x100 freestyle relay on the opening Saturday but will go home without individual titles. "It's been a tough week, there is no denying," said Cate, speaking after ending the meet with a silver in the 4x100 medley. "The 50 is kind of a lottery and it just hasn't been my week obviously. My number wasn't up this time. I couldn't be too disappointed. It's 0.3 off my best but I've only swum that time once, and when I was in amazing form. "I executed a good race and I can't be too hard on myself." (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Blume wins Denmark's first swim gold since 1948

India&#39;s sprint queen Dutee Chand and discus thrower Vikas Gowda failed in the first qualification stage to cap off a disappointing first day of athletics at the Rio Games.&nbsp; 
 
Chand clocked 11.69 seconds to finish seventh in the 100m heats, which was well below her personal best of 11.24 seconds she had recorded in Astana, Kazakhstan, earlier this year. 
 
It was no better for four-time Olympian Gowda, who produced his worst showing at the quadrennial event. He had a best throw of 58.99m to come 28th out of 34 competitors.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;My performance was not very good today. Frustrating. Just had a lot of bad luck this year. Lot of injuries. Was not able to train until three-four weeks ago. Obviously, that was not enough time to prepare,&quot; said Gowda, who had come eighth in the previous edition in London.
&quot;I tore both quad-tendons of my knees. Right above the kneecap, earlier in the year. It did progress, so I had to take a break from training. So, not enough enough time,&quot; he further said. 
 
Favourite Piotr Malachowski of Poland topped the qualification round with a best throw of 65.89m, followed by Lukas Weisshaidinger (65.86m) of Austria and Christoph Harting (65.41m) of Germany.&nbsp; 
 
The first day of track and field events was a bleak one for Indian athletes as shot putter Manpreet Kaur and 800m racer Jinson Johnson also fell by the wayside in their respoective events.&nbsp; 
 
(Inputs from PTI)
 
 
&nbsp;

Discus thrower Vikas Gowda also produces a below-par performance to cap off a dismal first day in athletics

India's sprint queen Dutee Chand and discus thrower Vikas Gowda failed in the first qualification stage to cap off a disappointing first day of athletics at the Rio Games. Chand clocked 11.69 seconds to finish seventh in the 100m heats, which was well below her personal best of 11.24 seconds she had recorded in Astana, Kazakhstan, earlier this year. It was no better for four-time Olympian Gowda, who produced his worst showing at the quadrennial event. He had a best throw of 58.99m to come 28th out of 34 competitors. "My performance was not very good today. Frustrating. Just had a lot of bad luck this year. Lot of injuries. Was not able to train until three-four weeks ago. Obviously, that was not enough time to prepare," said Gowda, who had come eighth in the previous edition in London. "I tore both quad-tendons of my knees. Right above the kneecap, earlier in the year. It did progress, so I had to take a break from training. So, not enough enough time," he further said. Favourite Piotr Malachowski of Poland topped the qualification round with a best throw of 65.89m, followed by Lukas Weisshaidinger (65.86m) of Austria and Christoph Harting (65.41m) of Germany. The first day of track and field events was a bleak one for Indian athletes as shot putter Manpreet Kaur and 800m racer Jinson Johnson also fell by the wayside in their respoective events. (Inputs from PTI)

India's Dutee Chand fails to qualify in Rio Olympics 2016

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women&#39;s 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport&#39;s (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. 
 
The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations&#39; (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. 
 
It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. 
 
She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. 
 
&quot;I am really happy at the moment,&quot; she said in a statement. &quot;It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off.&nbsp;I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off.&quot; 
 
The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India&#39;s contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF&#39;s guidelines. 
 
She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. 
 
South Africa&#39;s former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. 
 
The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. 
 
(Reuters)

Chand was dropped from Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after her high testosterone levels were found

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women's 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. "I am really happy at the moment," she said in a statement. "It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off. I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off." The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India's contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF's guidelines. She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. South Africa's former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. (Reuters)

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand qualifies for Rio Olympics following ruling on gender testing

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. 
 
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 Aug. 5. 
 
Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs. 
 
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. 
 
&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) 
&nbsp;

Australia claims a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish

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 Aug. 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 after fire

Rio de Janeiro&#39;s air is dirtier and deadlier than portrayed by authorities, and the Olympics&#39; promised legacy of cleaner winds has not remotely been met, an analysis of government data and Reuters&#39; own testing found. 
 
Brazil declared in its official bid for the Olympic Games, which open on Friday, that Rio&#39;s air quality was &quot;within the limits recommended by the World Health Organization&quot;. 
 
That was not true when Rio won the right to host the Games in 2009 and it is not true now. 
 
Rio for years has surpassed WHO limits for the most dangerous air pollutant,&nbsp;called particulate matter (PM),&nbsp;spewed from millions of vehicles clogging the city&#39;s roads. 
 
Thousands die annually in Rio&#39;s metropolitan area of 12 million people because of complications related to the air. People exposed to the pollution have higher risks of lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, asthma and other diseases. 
 
&quot;This is definitely not &#39;Olympic air&#39;,&quot; said Paulo Saldiva, a University of Sao Paulo pathologist and member of the WHO committee that set tougher global pollution standards in 2006. 
 
&quot;A lot of attention has been paid to Rio&#39;s water pollution, but far more people die because of air pollution than the water,&quot; he said. &quot;You are not obligated to drink water from Guanabara Bay, but you must breathe Rio&#39;s air.&quot; 
 
Rio&#39;s contaminated Olympic waterways have drawn attention as the city suffers endemic levels of gastrointestinal diseases from a lack of sewage collection. Reuters recently reported that Rio&#39;s Olympic water venues and favourite beaches also tested positive for drug-resistant &quot;super bacteria&quot;. 
 
But there has been no talk of Rio&#39;s air pollution, three-quarters of which is caused by exhaust fumes from the 2.7 million vehicles on its roads, according to Rio state&#39;s environmental protection agency, Inea. 
 
Its data shows that since 2008, Rio&#39;s air has consistently been two to three times above WHO&#39;s annual limit for PM 10 - so called because the particulate matter has a diameter of 10 microns or less, seven times smaller than that of a human hair. 
 
That means Rio has the dirtiest air of any Olympic host city since scientists began consistently tracking PM 10 in the late 1980s, with the exception of Beijing in 2008. 
 
Tania Braga, head of sustainability and legacy for the Rio Olympics organising committee, said air quality cannot be judged on PM data alone and other pollutants are at low levels. 
 
Saldiva dismissed that, saying &quot;the health damages associated with PM pollution are the most severe of all pollutants&quot; and, because of that, Rio&#39;s air is of poor quality. 
 
The WHO says on its website that &quot;PM affects more people than any other pollutant,&quot; that outdoor pollution caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 and that those deaths were due to exposure to PM 10.&nbsp;The UN&nbsp;body did not respond to requests for comment on Rio&#39;s air quality. 
 
Using the WHO&#39;s methodology on estimating mortality, Saldiva calculates some 5,400 people died in Rio because of air pollution in 2014, the most recent year that data is available.&nbsp;By comparison, Rio&#39;s infamous murder levels resulted in 3,117 deaths last year. 
 
From 2010 to 2014, metropolitan Rio had an annual average PM 10 reading of 52 per cubic meter of air, according to Inea statistics. The WHO&#39;s limit for the annual average is 20. 
 
Jamie Mullins, a professor of resource economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, estimates that for every 10 units above the WHO limit on PM 10 levels, track athletes across all events see their performances diminished by 0.2 per cent.&nbsp;Mullins based that calculation on an examination of nearly 656,000 results from U.S. track athletes over eight years, and the air pollution during each. 
 
&#39;Sad Reality&#39; 
 
During the Beijing Olympics, the PM 10 level was 82, well above Rio&#39;s. When London held its Games in 2012, the PM 10 level was 23, government data showed. 
 
The PM level was 44 during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, 24 in Sydney in 2000 and 28 in Atlanta in 1996, said Staci Simonich, a professor at Oregon State University who published a 2009 study on pollution at the Beijing Games. 
 
&quot;Rio&#39;s numbers are all too common for the developing world. That is the sad reality,&quot; said Simonich. 
 
Air quality varies depending on weather, as&nbsp;rains temporarily clean PM from the air. But Rio is in its dry season and pollution is at its peak. 
 
Inea denied Reuters&#39; requests to see monthly data on PM levels for 2015 and this year.&nbsp;Some experts even question the reliability of Inea&#39;s data,&nbsp;noting that three-quarters of its 64 automatic monitoring stations are run by private companies that pollute, as a condition for them winning environmental licenses. 
 
&quot;The local agency should be fully and independently managing the stations,&quot; said James Lents, an air pollution expert who designed southern California&#39;s anti-smog effort.&nbsp;Inea did not respond to requests for comment on the private stations. 
 
Saldiva and his top researcher Mariana Veras teamed with Reuters to analyse Inea&#39;s data and carry out independent testing on PM 2.5,&nbsp;fine particles that pose the most serious health risks.&nbsp;Inea&#39;s data shows that since 2011, Rio&#39;s PM 2.5 levels surpassed WHO&#39;s annual limits 83 per cent of the time. 
 
Reuters conducted 22 separate hour-long tests for PM 2.5 levels: in front of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village, next to the beach volleyball arena on Copacabana beach and just outside the Olympic stadium where track athletes will compete. 
 
There are no standards for one-hour tests for PM 2.5 &ndash; instead the WHO sets a 24-hour average level of 25 and an annual average of 10. But Saldiva and other experts said the results show athletes, fans and Rio residents are exposed to high levels of PM 2.5. 
 
The highest readings were at the Olympic stadium &ndash; with a peak of 65 PM 2.5 during a June 30 test taken mid-morning, the same time of day athletes will compete.&nbsp;The Copacabana site had a 57 reading the same day, while the Olympic Village where athletes will sleep hit a maximum of 32. 
 
Rio&#39;s mayor, Eduardo Paes, has been praised by experts for creating Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and extending a subway line, but Rio&#39;s fleet of vehicles still grows by 100,000 a year. 
 
The mayor&#39;s office told Reuters improvements in public transport would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;It said the BRTs had already resulted in 750 smaller-capacity buses being removed from roads.&nbsp;But Saldiva said mass transport must be vastly expanded to significantly impact pollution levels, given the number of cars and trucks on Rio&#39;s roads. 
 
&quot;The idea of an Olympic legacy in terms of diminishing air pollution is Utopian. It is unimaginable that a few BRT routes will substantially change the quality of the air,&quot; he said. &quot;For the Brazilians remaining in Rio after the Olympics have come and gone, there is no clean air legacy.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Rio surpasses WHO limits for particulate matter, the most dangerous air pollutant. Of recent Olympic hosts only Beijing had dirtier air

Rio de Janeiro's air is dirtier and deadlier than portrayed by authorities, and the Olympics' promised legacy of cleaner winds has not remotely been met, an analysis of government data and Reuters' own testing found. Brazil declared in its official bid for the Olympic Games, which open on Friday, that Rio's air quality was "within the limits recommended by the World Health Organization". That was not true when Rio won the right to host the Games in 2009 and it is not true now. Rio for years has surpassed WHO limits for the most dangerous air pollutant, called particulate matter (PM), spewed from millions of vehicles clogging the city's roads. Thousands die annually in Rio's metropolitan area of 12 million people because of complications related to the air. People exposed to the pollution have higher risks of lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, asthma and other diseases. "This is definitely not 'Olympic air'," said Paulo Saldiva, a University of Sao Paulo pathologist and member of the WHO committee that set tougher global pollution standards in 2006. "A lot of attention has been paid to Rio's water pollution, but far more people die because of air pollution than the water," he said. "You are not obligated to drink water from Guanabara Bay, but you must breathe Rio's air." Rio's contaminated Olympic waterways have drawn attention as the city suffers endemic levels of gastrointestinal diseases from a lack of sewage collection. Reuters recently reported that Rio's Olympic water venues and favourite beaches also tested positive for drug-resistant "super bacteria". But there has been no talk of Rio's air pollution, three-quarters of which is caused by exhaust fumes from the 2.7 million vehicles on its roads, according to Rio state's environmental protection agency, Inea. Its data shows that since 2008, Rio's air has consistently been two to three times above WHO's annual limit for PM 10 - so called because the particulate matter has a diameter of 10 microns or less, seven times smaller than that of a human hair. That means Rio has the dirtiest air of any Olympic host city since scientists began consistently tracking PM 10 in the late 1980s, with the exception of Beijing in 2008. Tania Braga, head of sustainability and legacy for the Rio Olympics organising committee, said air quality cannot be judged on PM data alone and other pollutants are at low levels. Saldiva dismissed that, saying "the health damages associated with PM pollution are the most severe of all pollutants" and, because of that, Rio's air is of poor quality. The WHO says on its website that "PM affects more people than any other pollutant," that outdoor pollution caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 and that those deaths were due to exposure to PM 10. The UN body did not respond to requests for comment on Rio's air quality. Using the WHO's methodology on estimating mortality, Saldiva calculates some 5,400 people died in Rio because of air pollution in 2014, the most recent year that data is available. By comparison, Rio's infamous murder levels resulted in 3,117 deaths last year. From 2010 to 2014, metropolitan Rio had an annual average PM 10 reading of 52 per cubic meter of air, according to Inea statistics. The WHO's limit for the annual average is 20. Jamie Mullins, a professor of resource economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, estimates that for every 10 units above the WHO limit on PM 10 levels, track athletes across all events see their performances diminished by 0.2 per cent. Mullins based that calculation on an examination of nearly 656,000 results from U.S. track athletes over eight years, and the air pollution during each. 'Sad Reality' During the Beijing Olympics, the PM 10 level was 82, well above Rio's. When London held its Games in 2012, the PM 10 level was 23, government data showed. The PM level was 44 during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, 24 in Sydney in 2000 and 28 in Atlanta in 1996, said Staci Simonich, a professor at Oregon State University who published a 2009 study on pollution at the Beijing Games. "Rio's numbers are all too common for the developing world. That is the sad reality," said Simonich. Air quality varies depending on weather, as rains temporarily clean PM from the air. But Rio is in its dry season and pollution is at its peak. Inea denied Reuters' requests to see monthly data on PM levels for 2015 and this year. Some experts even question the reliability of Inea's data, noting that three-quarters of its 64 automatic monitoring stations are run by private companies that pollute, as a condition for them winning environmental licenses. "The local agency should be fully and independently managing the stations," said James Lents, an air pollution expert who designed southern California's anti-smog effort. Inea did not respond to requests for comment on the private stations. Saldiva and his top researcher Mariana Veras teamed with Reuters to analyse Inea's data and carry out independent testing on PM 2.5, fine particles that pose the most serious health risks. Inea's data shows that since 2011, Rio's PM 2.5 levels surpassed WHO's annual limits 83 per cent of the time. Reuters conducted 22 separate hour-long tests for PM 2.5 levels: in front of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village, next to the beach volleyball arena on Copacabana beach and just outside the Olympic stadium where track athletes will compete. There are no standards for one-hour tests for PM 2.5 – instead the WHO sets a 24-hour average level of 25 and an annual average of 10. But Saldiva and other experts said the results show athletes, fans and Rio residents are exposed to high levels of PM 2.5. The highest readings were at the Olympic stadium – with a peak of 65 PM 2.5 during a June 30 test taken mid-morning, the same time of day athletes will compete. The Copacabana site had a 57 reading the same day, while the Olympic Village where athletes will sleep hit a maximum of 32. Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, has been praised by experts for creating Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and extending a subway line, but Rio's fleet of vehicles still grows by 100,000 a year. The mayor's office told Reuters improvements in public transport would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It said the BRTs had already resulted in 750 smaller-capacity buses being removed from roads. But Saldiva said mass transport must be vastly expanded to significantly impact pollution levels, given the number of cars and trucks on Rio's roads. "The idea of an Olympic legacy in terms of diminishing air pollution is Utopian. It is unimaginable that a few BRT routes will substantially change the quality of the air," he said. "For the Brazilians remaining in Rio after the Olympics have come and gone, there is no clean air legacy." (Reuters)

Rio's air dirty, deadly and not Olympic-like

When India&#39;s Dipa Karmakar launches into her soaring vault at the Rio Olympics, chances are that only a handful of people will be aware that the foundations of the skill were built on Do It Yourself apparatus made from second-hand parts of a discarded scooter. 
 
&quot;We initially had no apparatus and had to use our imagination to improvise,&quot; Karmakar&#39;s coach Bisweshwar Nandi said in an interview in his native Bangla. 
 
&quot;For example, we stacked eight to 10 crash mats on top of each other to make a vaulting platform. We bought second-hand springs and shock absorbers from discarded scooters, then asked a local carpenter to make some kind of a spring board with the bits. 
 
&quot;So when Dipa first started to vault, she used to jump from this onto a pile of mats.&quot; 
 
In August, the gymnast will get a chance to show the world just how far she has come since her rather primitive start in the sport when she attempts a daring Produnova vault. 
 
It is a skill so difficult, consisting of a front handspring and two front somersaults, that Karmakar is one of only five women to have landed it in competition. 
 
But as the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, Karmakar knows she has to pull off something spectacular if she wants the world to take notice. 
 
&quot;My coach was frightened when I first started doing the vault because he thought I could break my neck or end up dead, but I wanted to push the boundaries,&quot; Karmakar, the only Indian to reach an appartus final at the world championships, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;But my coach and I felt we had to take some risks if we wanted to compete with the best.&quot; 
 
Scared 
 
Her coach added: &quot;At times my heart was in my mouth when she took off for the vault. I was so scared but she was fearless.&quot; 
 
Such has been her dedication in perfecting the skill that she decided to note down her attempts for one week in a diary she keeps. The final tally? -- 127 vaults. 
 
In comparison, American gold medal favourite Simone Biles attempts about 15 complete vaults a week. 
 
But then again, Biles had access to top-of-the-range apparatus from the start and did not have to overcome the challenges faced by Karmakar. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think my rivals know what obstacles and hardships I had to face to get myself to Rio,&quot; Karmakar, who hails from Agartala in north-east India, said. 
 
&quot;There were barely any world class gymnastics facilities in the whole of India so in a small city like Agartala there was practically nothing. 
 
&quot;So I feel that to get to Rio is a really big deal and it means the world to me. 
 
&quot;To have started off with nothing and get to the level I have today proves that Indian gymnasts have the kind of talent people expect to see from someone like Simone Biles.&quot; 
 
Success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, when Karmakar claimed a bronze on the vault, had initially failed to change her fortunes. 
 
&quot;Dipa also faced sex discrimination because whenever we went to the national camp, the officials used to hype up the achievements of the male gymnasts,&quot; added Nandi. 
 
&quot;Ashish Kumar got so much recognition for the silver and bronze medals he won at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. 
 
&quot;I was really disappointed that women&#39;s gymnastics was not getting the same recognition or investment and I always had big dreams for Dipa. I was determined she was going to make a name for herself, no matter what the obstacles.&quot; 
 
Breaking Barriers 
 
With next to no funding available, Karmakar had to make do with practising her skills on out-of-date apparatus. 
 
When Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games, manufacturer Gymnova gave her the cast-offs from that competition. Until three months ago, those were the equipment she used even if the world of gymnastics had moved on to more high-tech gear. 
 
But when she qualified for the Olympics at the Rio test event in April, the recognition and funding finally started to flood in. 
 
&quot;Dipa has made India proud and brought glory to its name. She has achieved the feat through her determination. Lack of resources never came in her way,&quot; said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
 
The Sports Authority of India spent $120,000 importing state-of-the-art apparatus from France. Another $45,000 has been allocated for her day-to-day expenses, including training and commuting costs. 
 
In addition, Nandi said the Indian government is also giving Karmakar $1,500 a month &quot;in pocket money&quot; from May until August. 
 
&quot;The problem with India is that you have to first prove what you are capable of achieving before any help comes your way,&quot; added Nandi. &quot;There is no system of nurturing gymnastics talent at grassroots level. 
 
&quot;Dipa is so excited. She can&#39;t train enough. She keeps telling me to push her harder in training. 
 
&quot;Dipa has shown India just what female gymnasts are capable of doing. By becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to go to the Olympics, Dipa has broken down so many barriers. She has paved the way for girls who might want to follow in her footsteps.&quot; 
 
And what are Karmakar&#39;s expectations in Rio? 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to jinx myself by setting sights on a medal but I would be hugely disappointed if I did not at least make the vault final,&quot; said Karmakar, who will celebrate her 23rd birthday during the Games. 
 
&quot;I am attempting the vault morning, noon and night so I can get it right for the Olympics. My goal is to produce my best performance.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Indian gymnast practises Produnova vault, toughest of its kind, 127 times a week, which the US gold medal favourite attempts 15 times

When India's Dipa Karmakar launches into her soaring vault at the Rio Olympics, chances are that only a handful of people will be aware that the foundations of the skill were built on Do It Yourself apparatus made from second-hand parts of a discarded scooter. "We initially had no apparatus and had to use our imagination to improvise," Karmakar's coach Bisweshwar Nandi said in an interview in his native Bangla. "For example, we stacked eight to 10 crash mats on top of each other to make a vaulting platform. We bought second-hand springs and shock absorbers from discarded scooters, then asked a local carpenter to make some kind of a spring board with the bits. "So when Dipa first started to vault, she used to jump from this onto a pile of mats." In August, the gymnast will get a chance to show the world just how far she has come since her rather primitive start in the sport when she attempts a daring Produnova vault. It is a skill so difficult, consisting of a front handspring and two front somersaults, that Karmakar is one of only five women to have landed it in competition. But as the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, Karmakar knows she has to pull off something spectacular if she wants the world to take notice. "My coach was frightened when I first started doing the vault because he thought I could break my neck or end up dead, but I wanted to push the boundaries," Karmakar, the only Indian to reach an appartus final at the world championships, told Reuters. "But my coach and I felt we had to take some risks if we wanted to compete with the best." Scared Her coach added: "At times my heart was in my mouth when she took off for the vault. I was so scared but she was fearless." Such has been her dedication in perfecting the skill that she decided to note down her attempts for one week in a diary she keeps. The final tally? -- 127 vaults. In comparison, American gold medal favourite Simone Biles attempts about 15 complete vaults a week. But then again, Biles had access to top-of-the-range apparatus from the start and did not have to overcome the challenges faced by Karmakar. "I don't think my rivals know what obstacles and hardships I had to face to get myself to Rio," Karmakar, who hails from Agartala in north-east India, said. "There were barely any world class gymnastics facilities in the whole of India so in a small city like Agartala there was practically nothing. "So I feel that to get to Rio is a really big deal and it means the world to me. "To have started off with nothing and get to the level I have today proves that Indian gymnasts have the kind of talent people expect to see from someone like Simone Biles." Success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, when Karmakar claimed a bronze on the vault, had initially failed to change her fortunes. "Dipa also faced sex discrimination because whenever we went to the national camp, the officials used to hype up the achievements of the male gymnasts," added Nandi. "Ashish Kumar got so much recognition for the silver and bronze medals he won at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. "I was really disappointed that women's gymnastics was not getting the same recognition or investment and I always had big dreams for Dipa. I was determined she was going to make a name for herself, no matter what the obstacles." Breaking Barriers With next to no funding available, Karmakar had to make do with practising her skills on out-of-date apparatus. When Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games, manufacturer Gymnova gave her the cast-offs from that competition. Until three months ago, those were the equipment she used even if the world of gymnastics had moved on to more high-tech gear. But when she qualified for the Olympics at the Rio test event in April, the recognition and funding finally started to flood in. "Dipa has made India proud and brought glory to its name. She has achieved the feat through her determination. Lack of resources never came in her way," said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Sports Authority of India spent $120,000 importing state-of-the-art apparatus from France. Another $45,000 has been allocated for her day-to-day expenses, including training and commuting costs. In addition, Nandi said the Indian government is also giving Karmakar $1,500 a month "in pocket money" from May until August. "The problem with India is that you have to first prove what you are capable of achieving before any help comes your way," added Nandi. "There is no system of nurturing gymnastics talent at grassroots level. "Dipa is so excited. She can't train enough. She keeps telling me to push her harder in training. "Dipa has shown India just what female gymnasts are capable of doing. By becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to go to the Olympics, Dipa has broken down so many barriers. She has paved the way for girls who might want to follow in her footsteps." And what are Karmakar's expectations in Rio? "I don't want to jinx myself by setting sights on a medal but I would be hugely disappointed if I did not at least make the vault final," said Karmakar, who will celebrate her 23rd birthday during the Games. "I am attempting the vault morning, noon and night so I can get it right for the Olympics. My goal is to produce my best performance." (Reuters)

To have started with nothing to the level I have today, proves Indian gymnasts are world class: Dipa Karmakar

The International Olympic Committee today barred Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Rio Games after the revelation of a state-run doping system. 
 
&quot;The IOC will not grant any accreditation to any official of the Russian Ministry of sport or any person implicated in the (independent) report for the Games of the Olympiad Rio 2016,&quot; said an IOC statement. 
 
An independent inquiry commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the Russian sports ministry organised a state-dictated failsafe system of cheating by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and other major events hosted by Russia. 
Deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh is among officials to have been suspended by the Kremlin since the report was released on Monday. 
 
The International Olympic Committee today also that said it will study &quot;legal options&quot; on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system. 
 
The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks after a WADA commissioned report said there had been state-sanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. 
 
The IOC &quot;will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice&quot;, said a statement. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS decision on July 21 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

IOC will not grant any accreditation to any Russian sport ministry official or any person implicated in the WADA report

The International Olympic Committee today barred Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Rio Games after the revelation of a state-run doping system. "The IOC will not grant any accreditation to any official of the Russian Ministry of sport or any person implicated in the (independent) report for the Games of the Olympiad Rio 2016," said an IOC statement. An independent inquiry commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the Russian sports ministry organised a state-dictated failsafe system of cheating by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and other major events hosted by Russia. Deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh is among officials to have been suspended by the Kremlin since the report was released on Monday. The International Olympic Committee today also that said it will study "legal options" on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system. The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks after a WADA commissioned report said there had been state-sanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. The IOC "will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice", said a statement. "In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS decision on July 21 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter." (AFP)

IOC bars Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko from Rio Olympics

In a sensational turn of events, Narsingh Yadav was today cleared to compete in the Rio Olympics after being exonerated of doping charges by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), which ruled that the wrestler was a victim of &quot;sabotage&quot; and deserved the benefit of doubt. 
 
Ending the suspense of the last few days, NADA director general Naveen Agarwal read out a statement clearing Narsingh, leading to wild celebrations among his supporters. 
 
&quot;We kept in mind that in the past, till June 2, none of his samples were positive. It was inconceivable that one-time ingestion would be of benefit. Therefore the panel is of the view that the one-time ingestion was not intentional,&quot; Agarwal said while reading out the verdict. 
 
&quot;The panel concludes that the athlete deserves the benefit of article 10.4 of the NADA&#39;s anti-doping code. Keeping in view that he was victim of a sabotage, the panel exonerates the athlete from charges of anti-doping rules of NADA,&quot; he added 
 
Narsingh, who had been replaced by Parveen Rana in the Rio-bound squad, was present at the NADA headquarters when the decision was taken today.&nbsp;But the Wrestling Federation of India today said Narsingh would now be brought back into the squad. 
 
The NADA reached the conclusion after three days of marathon hearings last week during which Narsingh&#39;s lawyers argued that the wrestler had been sabotaged by rivals.&nbsp;Narsingh had even filed a police complaint, naming two fellow wrestlers, one of whom is a 17-year-old. 
 
Narsingh had returned positive for methandienone, a banned anabolic steroid, following which he cried foul, claiming that the entire episode was a conspiracy against him. 
 
NADA&#39;s legal team had also given its arguments against the sabotage theory before the disciplinary committee, stating that the responsibility of keeping his system dope free lay with Narsingh. 
 
The panel had summoned two cooks on the request of Narsingh&#39;s lawyer Vidushpat Singhania on Saturday to verify the theory of his food being contaminated. 
 
Earlier, the argument put forth by NADA was that Narsingh was not eligible for remission, which he had been asking for because he failed to establish that he did not commit any fault or negligence. 
 
(PTI)

Narsingh tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid but India's anti-doping agency exonerated him, believing his claim he was sabotaged

In a sensational turn of events, Narsingh Yadav was today cleared to compete in the Rio Olympics after being exonerated of doping charges by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), which ruled that the wrestler was a victim of "sabotage" and deserved the benefit of doubt. Ending the suspense of the last few days, NADA director general Naveen Agarwal read out a statement clearing Narsingh, leading to wild celebrations among his supporters. "We kept in mind that in the past, till June 2, none of his samples were positive. It was inconceivable that one-time ingestion would be of benefit. Therefore the panel is of the view that the one-time ingestion was not intentional," Agarwal said while reading out the verdict. "The panel concludes that the athlete deserves the benefit of article 10.4 of the NADA's anti-doping code. Keeping in view that he was victim of a sabotage, the panel exonerates the athlete from charges of anti-doping rules of NADA," he added Narsingh, who had been replaced by Parveen Rana in the Rio-bound squad, was present at the NADA headquarters when the decision was taken today. But the Wrestling Federation of India today said Narsingh would now be brought back into the squad. The NADA reached the conclusion after three days of marathon hearings last week during which Narsingh's lawyers argued that the wrestler had been sabotaged by rivals. Narsingh had even filed a police complaint, naming two fellow wrestlers, one of whom is a 17-year-old. Narsingh had returned positive for methandienone, a banned anabolic steroid, following which he cried foul, claiming that the entire episode was a conspiracy against him. NADA's legal team had also given its arguments against the sabotage theory before the disciplinary committee, stating that the responsibility of keeping his system dope free lay with Narsingh. The panel had summoned two cooks on the request of Narsingh's lawyer Vidushpat Singhania on Saturday to verify the theory of his food being contaminated. Earlier, the argument put forth by NADA was that Narsingh was not eligible for remission, which he had been asking for because he failed to establish that he did not commit any fault or negligence. (PTI)

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav gets clearance to participate at Rio Olympics

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. 
 
In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. 
 
According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. 
 
&quot;I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better,&quot; said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. 
 
During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. 
 
The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don&#39;t feel any danger right now,&quot; said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t have any fears, I feel pretty secure,&quot; said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. 
 
(Reuters)

According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in venues and all personal items must go through security checks

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. "I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better," said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. "You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don't feel any danger right now," said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. "I don't have any fears, I feel pretty secure," said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. (Reuters)

Brazil steps up security arrangements ahead of Rio Olympics 2016

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony&#39;s executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. 
 
Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. 
 
&quot;There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart,&quot; the Italian producer said at a press conference. 
 
The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. 
 
The limited space in the opening ceremony&#39;s venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. 
 
&quot;The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible,&quot; said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

According to organisers, the opening ceremony has three themes, the garden, diversity and joy

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony's executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. "There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart," the Italian producer said at a press conference. The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. The limited space in the opening ceremony's venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. "The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible," said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Rio set for 'all Brazilian' Olympic opening ceremony: Organisers

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia&#39;s Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. 
 
Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. 
 
&quot;I think they&#39;ve got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they&#39;ve had but, you know what, on the day, I think they&#39;ll deliver,&quot; said John Beadle from London. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool,&quot; said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. 
 
&quot;I think Rio will pull it off and I&#39;m hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it&#39;s going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we&#39;re going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can,&quot; added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The Rio Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million were spent on the show, about half of what London spent 4 years ago

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia's Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. "I think they've got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they've had but, you know what, on the day, I think they'll deliver," said John Beadle from London. "I'm really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool," said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. "I think Rio will pull it off and I'm hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it's going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we're going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can," added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Sydney Opera House lights up in green and gold

The Rio Olympics were going to be a disaster, right? Well try telling that to the crowds of locals and tourists flocking to the Olympic flame in central Rio on Saturday. 
 
After weeks of tension over security, unready facilities, the Zika virus and pollution, Friday night&#39;s trouble-free opening ceremony appeared to have taught Brazilians and foreigners alike to love the Games. 
 
Even as a controlled explosion near the cycling venue and a stray bullet hit a press tent at the Olympic equestrian centre, the mood in Rio&#39;s centre remained upbeat. 
 
&quot;People are proud after the ceremony. A lot of people -- definitely me -- feared a disaster,&quot; said Fabiana Amaral, 32, who came to visit the flame in Rio&#39;s new pedestrian Olympic Boulevard with her family. 
 
&quot;Now we&#39;re proud. Brazil has a lot of culture and we showed that off, we showed that we&#39;re not just about cliches of women&#39;s bums and football,&quot; Amaral, an architect, said. 
 
In the hot sunshine tourists poured along the boulevard. Hundreds stopped for selfies in front of the flame, which was transferred to a silver cauldron there after the ceremony in the Maracana stadium. 
 
The unusual arrangement for the flame -- traditionally it is kept burning inside the main Olympic stadium -- has helped warm the city&#39;s attitude to the Games. 
 
&quot;This flame is for the people. It&#39;s great for ordinary people who can&#39;t pay for tickets or for all the transport. They can easily come here,&quot; said Aline Motta, 48, a chemical engineer. 
 
&quot;We were so worried before. We were very concerned about what would happen, but the party last night was amazing,&quot; she said. &quot;We are proud at this moment.&quot; 
 
No fear! 
 
If Brazilians are embracing their Olympics, foreigners are discovering they don&#39;t have to feel quite so afraid. 
 
Rio does have horrific crime problems. 
 
The shooting by police of a mugger near the Maracana on Friday and the fatal mugging of a woman near the Olympic Boulevard a few hours earlier were just part of a toll reaching almost five violent deaths a day. 
 
But as Guy Horcasitas, a tech security entrepreneur from California, found out, Rio is also a place where good things happen to tourists. 
 
&quot;I had a little too much to drink last night and fell asleep in the street in Lapa,&quot; said Horcasitas, 39, with a wry grin. 
 
&quot;This morning I woke up and everything was still in my pockets.&quot; 
 
&quot;Yeah,&quot; he said, laughing, &quot;it&#39;s that bad here!&quot; 
 
Australian athletes&#39; tribulations in the Olympic Village -- blocked toilets, a fire and theft of equipment -- became a symbol of Rio&#39;s organisational hiccups. 
 
But Australia&#39;s consul general in Rio, Kym Fullgrabe, said all that is in the past now. 
 
&quot;Bad news travels fast but there are good news stories too,&quot; Fullgrabe said on the Olympic Boulevard. 
 
He gestured at the pedestrian area, which used to be an inaccessible freeway. 
 
&quot;People who say there&#39;s no (positive) legacy for Rio should come and look at this. It&#39;s a wonderful area now,&quot; he said. 
 
Keith Willing, a Florida salesman visiting the Olympics with his family, said he had travelled enough abroad to know that things might not be as bad as painted. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t always believe what we read. We know how to filter it,&quot; Willing, 58, said. 
 
His daughter Tamra Willing-Silva, 29, added: &quot;You can&#39;t put Brazil in a box.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The mood remained upbeat in Rio despite a controlled explosion near the cycling venue and a stray gun shot fired into the press centre

The Rio Olympics were going to be a disaster, right? Well try telling that to the crowds of locals and tourists flocking to the Olympic flame in central Rio on Saturday. After weeks of tension over security, unready facilities, the Zika virus and pollution, Friday night's trouble-free opening ceremony appeared to have taught Brazilians and foreigners alike to love the Games. Even as a controlled explosion near the cycling venue and a stray bullet hit a press tent at the Olympic equestrian centre, the mood in Rio's centre remained upbeat. "People are proud after the ceremony. A lot of people -- definitely me -- feared a disaster," said Fabiana Amaral, 32, who came to visit the flame in Rio's new pedestrian Olympic Boulevard with her family. "Now we're proud. Brazil has a lot of culture and we showed that off, we showed that we're not just about cliches of women's bums and football," Amaral, an architect, said. In the hot sunshine tourists poured along the boulevard. Hundreds stopped for selfies in front of the flame, which was transferred to a silver cauldron there after the ceremony in the Maracana stadium. The unusual arrangement for the flame -- traditionally it is kept burning inside the main Olympic stadium -- has helped warm the city's attitude to the Games. "This flame is for the people. It's great for ordinary people who can't pay for tickets or for all the transport. They can easily come here," said Aline Motta, 48, a chemical engineer. "We were so worried before. We were very concerned about what would happen, but the party last night was amazing," she said. "We are proud at this moment." No fear! If Brazilians are embracing their Olympics, foreigners are discovering they don't have to feel quite so afraid. Rio does have horrific crime problems. The shooting by police of a mugger near the Maracana on Friday and the fatal mugging of a woman near the Olympic Boulevard a few hours earlier were just part of a toll reaching almost five violent deaths a day. But as Guy Horcasitas, a tech security entrepreneur from California, found out, Rio is also a place where good things happen to tourists. "I had a little too much to drink last night and fell asleep in the street in Lapa," said Horcasitas, 39, with a wry grin. "This morning I woke up and everything was still in my pockets." "Yeah," he said, laughing, "it's that bad here!" Australian athletes' tribulations in the Olympic Village -- blocked toilets, a fire and theft of equipment -- became a symbol of Rio's organisational hiccups. But Australia's consul general in Rio, Kym Fullgrabe, said all that is in the past now. "Bad news travels fast but there are good news stories too," Fullgrabe said on the Olympic Boulevard. He gestured at the pedestrian area, which used to be an inaccessible freeway. "People who say there's no (positive) legacy for Rio should come and look at this. It's a wonderful area now," he said. Keith Willing, a Florida salesman visiting the Olympics with his family, said he had travelled enough abroad to know that things might not be as bad as painted. "We don't always believe what we read. We know how to filter it," Willing, 58, said. His daughter Tamra Willing-Silva, 29, added: "You can't put Brazil in a box." (AFP)

After trouble-free opening ceremony, Brazilians finally learn to love their Olympics

Brazilian police arrested a Moroccan Olympic boxer on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting two female cleaners in the athletes&#39; village in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Officers arrested Hassan Saada, 22, from Casablanca, on suspicion of committing the assault on Wednesday, said a police statement released hours ahead of the Games&#39; opening ceremony. 
 
&quot;According to investigations, on August 3 the athlete sexually assaulted two Brazilian room cleaners who were working in the athletes&#39; village,&quot; it said. 
 
Billions of people around the world are expected to watch on Friday evening as Rio hosts the formal opening of the Olympics, with several world leaders in attendance 
 
Police sources told the news site G1 that Saada was accused of calling the cleaners to his room on the pretext of asking them a question and then improperly touched them. The women managed to escape. The site said that two other athletes were allegedly in the room at the time but did not react to the assault. 
 
A court granted a police request for Saada to be held in preventive detention for two weeks pending an investigation, the statement said. 
 
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) lists Saada as a former Moroccan youth champion and &quot;newcomer to the international scene.&quot; He was to fight in the 81-kilogram (178-pound) or light-heavyweight category in the Rio Games. 
 
Saada had been scheduled to fight Mehmet Nadir Unal of Turkey on Saturday in his first bout of the Games, G1 reported. - Olympic scandals - News site Globo reported that the Rio 2016 organizing committee had promised to cooperate with the investigation. 
 
The AIBA said in a statement it &quot;has taken note of the serious allegations&quot; against Saada. 
 
&quot;We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately,&quot; it said. 
 
It was the latest in a series of scandals and dramas to hit the Games in the crime-plagued Brazilian city. 
 
On July 31, a private security guard at Rio&#39;s Olympic Park was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a female firefighter while she slept. 
 
About 85,000 police and soldiers, as well as thousands of private guards, have been deployed -- double the number used at the 2012 London Games. 
 
Brazil suffers high levels of violence against women. Statistics indicate that in 2014, a sexual assault took place on average every 11 minutes. 
 
In May, an alleged gang rape of an unconscious teenage girl shocked the country after it came to light in an online video posted by the suspects. 
 
The Games had already been hit by scandal, with dozens of Russian athletes being barred over allegations of state-run doping. 
 
The AIBA said Thursday that all 11 Russian boxers entered for the Rio Olympics had been cleared and should be allowed to compete. 
 
The AIBA drew wide criticism in world boxing circles this year for opening the Olympic competition to professional boxers for the first time. 
 
Professionals in many other sports -- like basketball, ice hockey and tennis -- were long ago allowed to compete in the Olympics. 
 
(AFP)

The boxer is accused of assaulting two female Brazilian cleaners in the athletes' village who managed to escape the room

Brazilian police arrested a Moroccan Olympic boxer on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting two female cleaners in the athletes' village in Rio de Janeiro. Officers arrested Hassan Saada, 22, from Casablanca, on suspicion of committing the assault on Wednesday, said a police statement released hours ahead of the Games' opening ceremony. "According to investigations, on August 3 the athlete sexually assaulted two Brazilian room cleaners who were working in the athletes' village," it said. Billions of people around the world are expected to watch on Friday evening as Rio hosts the formal opening of the Olympics, with several world leaders in attendance Police sources told the news site G1 that Saada was accused of calling the cleaners to his room on the pretext of asking them a question and then improperly touched them. The women managed to escape. The site said that two other athletes were allegedly in the room at the time but did not react to the assault. A court granted a police request for Saada to be held in preventive detention for two weeks pending an investigation, the statement said. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) lists Saada as a former Moroccan youth champion and "newcomer to the international scene." He was to fight in the 81-kilogram (178-pound) or light-heavyweight category in the Rio Games. Saada had been scheduled to fight Mehmet Nadir Unal of Turkey on Saturday in his first bout of the Games, G1 reported. - Olympic scandals - News site Globo reported that the Rio 2016 organizing committee had promised to cooperate with the investigation. The AIBA said in a statement it "has taken note of the serious allegations" against Saada. "We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately," it said. It was the latest in a series of scandals and dramas to hit the Games in the crime-plagued Brazilian city. On July 31, a private security guard at Rio's Olympic Park was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a female firefighter while she slept. About 85,000 police and soldiers, as well as thousands of private guards, have been deployed -- double the number used at the 2012 London Games. Brazil suffers high levels of violence against women. Statistics indicate that in 2014, a sexual assault took place on average every 11 minutes. In May, an alleged gang rape of an unconscious teenage girl shocked the country after it came to light in an online video posted by the suspects. The Games had already been hit by scandal, with dozens of Russian athletes being barred over allegations of state-run doping. The AIBA said Thursday that all 11 Russian boxers entered for the Rio Olympics had been cleared and should be allowed to compete. The AIBA drew wide criticism in world boxing circles this year for opening the Olympic competition to professional boxers for the first time. Professionals in many other sports -- like basketball, ice hockey and tennis -- were long ago allowed to compete in the Olympics. (AFP)

Rio Olympics: Morocco boxer Saada arrested for suspected assault

A federal judge in Rio has issued an injunction overruling a government ban on political banners or slogans during the Olympic Games, allowing &quot;peaceful&quot; demonstrations. 
 
Judge Joao Augusto Carneiro Ara?jo issued the injunction late on Monday following a request by federal prosecutors who questioned the ban decided by the governments of Brazil and Rio state and the Rio2016 organising committee. 
 
The prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. The judge&#39;s injunction can be appealed against and, being a constitutional issue, could end up in the Supreme Court. 
 
The expulsion from Olympic venues of spectators carrying banners or shouting slogans against interim President Michel Temer stirred outcry on social media, but Games organisers threw their support behind the move. 
 
A video of security guards in red berets and camouflage gear surrounding a man holding a &quot;Temer Out&quot; banner and manhandling him from the stands of the archery event on Saturday prompted a barrage of criticism from Brazilians. 
 
(Reuters)

Prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression

A federal judge in Rio has issued an injunction overruling a government ban on political banners or slogans during the Olympic Games, allowing "peaceful" demonstrations. Judge Joao Augusto Carneiro Ara?jo issued the injunction late on Monday following a request by federal prosecutors who questioned the ban decided by the governments of Brazil and Rio state and the Rio2016 organising committee. The prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. The judge's injunction can be appealed against and, being a constitutional issue, could end up in the Supreme Court. The expulsion from Olympic venues of spectators carrying banners or shouting slogans against interim President Michel Temer stirred outcry on social media, but Games organisers threw their support behind the move. A video of security guards in red berets and camouflage gear surrounding a man holding a "Temer Out" banner and manhandling him from the stands of the archery event on Saturday prompted a barrage of criticism from Brazilians. (Reuters)

Rio judge overrules ban on political demos at Olympics

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