BRASÍLIA: Brazil's sports minister, George Hilton, says he has only one real concern a year before Rio hosts the 2016 Olympics: the medal haul.
In an interview in the capital Brasilia, Hilton told AFP that the focus is on Brazil getting an unprecedented slot in the top 10 rankings for Olympic medals.
Rio's preparations for the Summer Games, the first to be held in South America, are going flawlessly thanks to the experience the country gained in hosting last year's football World Cup, he said.
"We're moving forward with a very high level of satisfaction that we will be able to deliver all the works according to schedule," said Hilton.
Starting this August, dozens of international competitions in sailing, riding and other Olympic disciplines will be held in Rio to check the city's preparations under realistic conditions.
Hilton was confident that Brazil would pass the test, dismissing fears that corruption scandals enveloping major companies involved with Olympics could damage the government's heavy reliance on private investment to pay for preparations.
Oil giant Petrobras, a sponsor of some of the athletes, is at the heart of a sprawling bribery and kickbacks probe. Odebrecht, a major construction company in the Olympics project, has also been snared in the same investigation.
"It's clear that the names of certain companies have come up in certain accusations, but the (Olympic) consortium has different companies and they have the financial security for the works not to be affected," Hilton, 44, said.
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