Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games made a strong pitch today to the 200 participants of the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA). The official presentation, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria, showed the technical excellence of the Rio 2016 project and the importance of holding the world’s biggest sports event in South America for the first time, paving the way for countries in Africa and elsewhere. The highlight of the presentation was provided by Pelé, who made the case for Rio’s bid alongside Brazil’s sports minister, Orlando Silva, Rio 2016 president, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, Rio 2016 secretary general, Carlos Roberto Osório, and Olympic medal-winner Robson Caetano, who won bronze in the 200m at Seoul 1988 and in the 4x100m relay at Atlanta 1996.

The president of Rio 2016 opened the presentation by outlining the four pillars of the city’s bid – technical excellence, the power to transform the city and country, adding value to the Olympic Movement, and providing a unique experience for all involved – and the close ties between Brazil and Africa. “We have a lot of heritage and traditions in common, reflected in our culture, music, cuisine, and of course in sport. We have the dream of bringing the Olympic Games for the first time to South America, opening the doors to a new continent. The Olympic flame is most brilliant when it brings people together and marks new chapters in history. In the twenty-first century, the Olympic Movement must embrace new sports, new technologies and new people,” said Carlos Arthur Nuzman, who spoke in English and French.

The announcement of Pelé’s participation was met by considerable applause. The King of Football, who spoke of the importance of sport in his life, began his talk by recalling his visit to Nigeria as a Santos player. “You probably weren’t even born in 1967, when I was in Nigeria for the first time,” said Pelé, provoking smiles and applause among the audience. “The welcome we had was amazing and it is a great honor to be back. Since then, I have followed the impressive development of sport in Africa, especially in athletics and football. In my career, I’ve had many happy moments, but I never had the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games. In 2004 I felt some of this emotion when I participated in the Olympic torch relay, which attracted more than one million people onto the streets of Rio de Janeiro. I hope that wasn’t the last time I will carry the flame and that we can be together in Rio de Janeiro in 2016,” he said.

Yesterday Pelé took part in an event at the Brazilian embassy involving 50 seven- to 14-year-old poor children from a school on the outskirts of Abuja. Images of the event were shown on the screen during the King of Football’s speech today. “At the Brazilian embassy a boy approached me, looked up at me and said: ‘I want to be just like you, Pelé.’ It was one of the most emotional moments I’ve had during this visit.”

In his speech, Brazil’s sports minister mentioned President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s participation at the African Union summit in Libya. Announcing that he would be speaking Portuguese, Orlando Silva was warmly applauded by delegates from Portuguese-speaking countries. “President Lula is completely involved in the Rio 2016 bid. The three levels of government are committed, all guarantees have been presented and the investments are already under way. Of the ten largest economies in the world, Brazil is the only one never to have hosted the Olympic Games,” said Orlando Silva, who went on to talk about the Olympic Training Center, one of the main legacies of the Rio 2016 bid. “We will have training facilities for 22 Olympic sports. The Olympic Training Center was designed to be the main center of excellence in athlete training in South America, and also to act as an instrument for sports development for Latin America and Africa.”

Two-time Olympic medal-winner Róbson Caetano also roused the emotions of attendees at the meeting, speaking of the important role played by sport in his life. “I am one of these poor children who find a great opportunity in sport. During my 25-year career I played for my country and I twice took the Brazilian flag to the Olympic podium. If Rio de Janeiro is selected to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city will welcome the Olympic world in a manner that only a multicultural city full of diversity is able to do,” said Robson, who also explained Rio 2016’s plans for the Olympic Village.

Two videos were shown during the Rio 2016 presentation. The first featured a virtual flight over the city, showing the locations of the sports venues and the Olympic Village, making clear the four main Games zones: Maracanã, Deodoro, Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca. The second video showed the passion of Rio’s residents and how sport is a part of the city’s routine. “All events will be held in the city, so that everyone can experience this celebration to the maximum. We made a point of meeting with representatives of Olympic committees from diverse parts of the world to understand their needs and to prepare a project focused on sport,” explained Carlos Roberto Osório.