The Rio 2016 Bid Committee today announced their delegation for the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) in Abuja, Nigeria next week. 

Rio 2016 will present to the members of ANOCA on Tuesday 7 July 2009. The delegation will be led by Mr. Carlos Nuzman, President of the Rio 2016 Bid Committee and Brazilian Olympic Committee and the IOC’s Athlete of the Century and world-renowned football player Pelé.

Mr. Nuzman and Pelé will also be joined by Orlando Silva, Brazil’s Minister of Sports; Carlos Roberto Osório, Rio 2016 Secretary General and Robson Caetano da Silva, Brazil’s most successful sprint athlete and Olympic medalist.

Mr. Nuzman said: “We are very excited about going to the ANOCA General Assembly with an impressive delegation that showcases support from our government and one of the world’s greatest athletes for the bid. Brazil has important historical ties with Africa and as we saw this week with President Lula’s participation at the African Union Summit in Libya, this has evolved into very strong relationships between Brazil and Africa that are steeped in cooperation and trade.

“We are determined to show that the Games can be held not only in a new continent but in every continent and hosting the Games in Rio would send a powerful signal about the possibility of the Games being hosted in all regions of the world, including Africa.”

Pelé said: “I enjoyed one of the greatest moments of my career in Nigeria – in Lagos in 1967 – when I played an exhibition game with Santos. Of all the progress made in sport that I’ve seen in my career, the rise of football and athletics in Africa is one of the greatest. I am committed to fostering the inspiration of sport to young people worldwide and it is a very special opportunity for me to travel to Nigeria to witness this progress firsthand and explain to them how the Games in Rio in 2016 would also contribute to their ongoing progress.”