The Brazilian post office, known as Correios, has become the latest official sponsor of Rio 2016. The company will play a key role in the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in South America by running the logistics operations. It will be responsible for delivering more than 30 million items for the events, including athletes’ equipment.

“I am delighted to have Correios on our side in this great challenge,” said Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman. “The Games logistics operation will involve moving about 30 million items, ranging from sports equipment to all athletes’ baggage, as well as all the furniture for the Olympic Village. Correios’ experience in transporting all kinds of materials makes us confident that we will carry out this mega-operation with complete success.”

The company was also responsible for logistics operations during the Rio 2007 Pan American Games, when it was in charge of all the transportation and assembly of structures for the competitions.

“The choice of Correios as the competition’s official logistics operator is an acknowledgement of our quality and efficiency in this free-market sector, in which we compete against many companies, including giant multinationals,” said Wagner Pinheiro de Oliveira, the company’s CEO.

Poliana Okimoto, Brazilian female Olympic athlete of 2013, poses with the Rio 2016 logos (Photo: Rio 2016/Lucas Freitas)

The announcement was made at an event at the Correios Cultural Centre in Rio, which was attended by former tennis world number one Gustavo Kuerten, Olympic medallists Gustavo Borges (swimming) and Fernando Scherer (swimming), as well as swimmer Poliana Okimoto and handball player Deborah Hannah.

“We are very grateful for the support Correios has given to Brazilian sport,” said Kuerten. “With this sponsorship deal, we are even more confident in the success of the Rio 2016 Games. Watching and participating in the Olympic Games in our country is a dream for everyone who, like me, is passionate about sport. The year 2016 will be the best year of our lives.”

Correios’ has a long-standing partnership with Brazilian sport. The company has been investing in the development of Olympic athletes and sports for more than 20 years. Besides Rio 2016, the company also supports the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) and the Brazilian aquatic sports, tennis and handball confederations. 

Diving and handball athletes also attended the event (Photo: Rio2016/Lucas Freitas)

The event was also attended by Correios’ vice-president of Logistics and Orders, José Furian Filho, ECT’s vice-president of Customers and Operations, Glória Guimarães, the president of the Brazilian Aquatic Sports Confederation, Coaracy Nunes, the president of the Brazilian Tennis Confederation, Jorge Lacerda, and the president of the Brazilian Handball Confederation, Manoel Oliveira.