A senior Brazilian politician said on Tuesday that she was “not convinced” that athletes are receiving adequate protective gear in Rio de Janeiro, and that athletes had not received enough money for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the wake of the virus.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Paulo Gomes da Silva said she had asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for more funds for athletes and she was told that Rio had received $2.5m in the first six months of the year.
The IOC was expected to unveil a plan on Monday to ensure that athletes receive sufficient PPE for the duration of the Games, including the cost of the Olympic Games.
“I don�t think the entire world is fully aware of the magnitude of the problem.
The IOC is not a perfect organisation, but I don�T think that the whole of the world is completely aware of it,” said Gomes, the head of Brazil’s opposition Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), which is part of the government.”
So, I don’t see any reason for Rio to be in the position of not receiving the funds it needs for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The Rio Games are due to be the biggest sporting event in the world with a total budget of $6.6bn, and Gomes said that Rio should not expect to receive the same funds as other cities in the region.
“It is not only Rio that will be hit with the Zika and not only for the Paralympics,” he said.
“We will be in a position to pay more for all the Paralymics and Paralykicks, but the Olympics will not be able to compete with that.”
The IOC has promised a total of $4bn in aid for Rio, and the country has so far received $1.9bn from the International Monetary Fund.
In the wake