South America

Rio 2016 has conceded it will not meet its original pledge to reduce pollution at the controversial Guanabara Bay sailing venue in time for next summer’s Olympic Games.

Brazilian clubs will have 20 years to pay off collective debts estimated to stand between R$3.5bn (€1.08bn/$1.2bn) and R$4bn under a provisional law relating to the governance of football in the country signed by President Dilma Rousseff.

The Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games has unveiled details of its test event calendar, with 44 competitions set to take place between July and May 2016.

Fifa, football’s global governing body, has included Manaus in a confirmed list of cities that will host football games during the 2016 summer Olympic Games.

The designer of the golf course for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games says the facility will be ready for the start of the multi-sport event after signing off on the project.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has confirmed Rio de Janeiro as the host of its 2015 Volleyball World League Group 1 Finals, with the tournament also set to serve as a test event for the Brazilian city’s hosting of the 2016 summer Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee has urged organisers of the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to maintain its pace of preparations as the build-up to the event enters a crucial phase.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has announced that its Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship will return to Belo Horizonte for the third year in a row, with the Brazilian city hosting the 2015 edition from October 27 to November 1.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has stated he is “very satisfied” with Rio de Janeiro’s preparations for the 2016 Olympics and has dismissed fears over security for next year’s summer Games in the Brazilian city.

The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, will face an inquiry into alleged misconduct in the development of the new golf course for the city’s staging of the 2016 Olympic Games, the latest setback to affect the controversial project.

Rio 2016 has added Manaus to its list of cities that could host football matches alongside Rio de Janeiro during next year’s summer Olympic Games.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has boosted the sport’s case for Olympic and Paralympic inclusion by introducing its first World Adaptive Championship.

General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, who leads the Olympic Public Authority (APO) for the Rio 2016 Games, has stepped down from his post.

IndyCar has expressed its shock and disappointment after authorities in the Brazilian capital Brasilia cancelled the race that was due to open the 2015 season of the North American motor-racing series.

Contracts for a quarter of the infrastructure projects required for the staging of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro have yet to be awarded, according to a new report from the Olympic Public Authority (APO).

Dakar Rally organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) wants to expand the 2016 edition of the annual motorsport event to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, according to Argentine sports newspaper Olé.