Rio de Janeiro, Candidate City to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will hold the World Military Games in 2011. The official ceremony to present the event will take place tomorrow at 9:30, at Fort São João in Urca. Brazil’s defense minister, Nelson Jobim, sports minister, Orlando Silva, and Rio 2016 secretary general, Carlos Roberto Osório, will attend the event.

This is the first time that a country in the Americas will host the World Military Games. The competition will take place from 17 to 24 July and is expected to involve 5,000 athletes from 110 countries. Rio de Janeiro’s preparations are aligned with the city’s plans for the 2016 Olympic Games. One of the venues for the World Military Games, Deodoro Sports Complex – built for the Rio 2007 Pan American Games – is planned to host shooting, equestrian, fencing and modern pentathlon events at the Rio 2016 Games.

According to Carlos Roberto Osório, integration between the Rio 2016 bid and the World Military Games is fundamental. “The Rio 2016 bid doesn’t just benefit from military venues, but also the specialized personnel and technological resources of the Armed Forces. Information exchange is very important,” he said.