The Carioca spirit took over Acapulco, Mexico, and the General Assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization on Saturday. The first official presentation of Rio de Janeiro’s candidature to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games received enthusiastic applause from representatives of the 42 countries affiliated with the organization. The president of the Rio 2016 Commission, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, and the secretary general, Carlos Roberto Osório, were able to count on the presence of Pelé, the all time greatest footballer, to present the project that hopes to bring the Olympic Games to South America for the first time. 

Nuzman enthused the audience with his description of the reasons that led Rio de Janeiro to seek candidacy. “This is our moment, an historic and ideal moment for an historic decision by the IOC. Our desire is to stimulate future generations to celebrate sports, and this is the hour to welcome the world,” Nuzman said.

The sports minister, Orlando Silva, and special assistant to the cabinet and the projects coordinator for Rio de Janeiro, José Cândido Muricy, also attended the event. “I made it a priority to be in Acapulco to show the federal government’s commitment to the Rio 2016 candidature,” Silva said.

The Rio 2016 team described how the three levels of government - municipal, state and federal - are united behind the candidature. The success of the Rio 2007 Pan-American Games and the sports legacy of that event were presented, as well as transportation, facilities and security plans. “Rio de Janeiro is committed to an Olympic Games of technical excellence. The event will help transform the city and the country, and will open new markets for the Olympic Movement,” Osório said.

Pelé received several ovations during the presentation. The king of football conquered the audience with his natural spontaneity. “In my time, professionals could not participate in the Olympic Games. It is the only sorrow of my career. But I had the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch in 2004, and that was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. I ask that everyone join us in our dream of bringing the Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro. It is a dream that is not just Brazil’s, but the entire continent’s,” he said.