Beach Soccer takes aim at Rio 2016

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter dealt with this possibility in Rio de Janeiro with COB and Rio 2016 president, Carlos Nuzman

The dream of seeing Beach Soccer become an Olympic modality may be closer than ever, after the significant conversations between FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter, and the President of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics Organizing Committee and President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, and FIFA Vice-president and president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ricardo Texeira.

Taking advantage of the presence FIFA’s maximum representative in Rio de Janeiro, where he attended the Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and the Beach Soccer Charity Game between Brazil and Japan, the road to Olympism for Beach Soccer was strongly dealt with. Beginning with his conversations with Beach Soccer Worldwide president, Luis Felipe Tavares, and vice-president, Joan Cusco, and going on with the aforementioned top-representatives later on, the Olympic stage for Beach Soccer was a continuous and strong topic all through the day.

The outcome of the conversations was extremely positive, as Mr. Nuzman pointed: “Beach Soccer being in the Olympics for the first time in the upcoming games in Brazil in 2016 is a great idea. I am sure that it would only mean positive things both for the sport and its fans.

The FIFA vice-president, FIFA Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee President and CBF president, Ricardo Texeira, on his side, can only hail this exciting possibility: “The inclusion of Beach Soccer [in the Olympic Program] would mean a deserved recognition to the fast growth of the sport all around the world. We need to wait until the conversations between Mr. Blatter and COI’s President, Mr. Jacques Rogge, but I feel really happy to see the support from the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee”, he assured.

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