WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017 SPORTS The Olympica Park of the 2016 Olympics is seen from the air, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Almost one year after the games, Olympica Park in suburban Barra da Tijuca, which was the largest cluster of venues, is an expanse of empty RIO DE JANEIRO: Children play near the Olympic Park sign in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. — AP arenas with clutter still remaining from the games. Scathing report on Rio Olympics: Venues ‘White Elephants’ RIO DE JANEIRO: A federal prosecutor look- Games. No planning. “They are white ele- Deodoro, is closed despite plans to open it as months after the Rio Olympics ended, the local Olympics showed signs of rusting. He said ing into last year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics phants today,” Mitidieri added. “What we are a public park with swimming facilities for the organizing committee still owes creditors many were bronze medals, and said many of says that many of the venues “are white ele- trying to look at here is to how to turn this into mostly poor who live in the area. about $30 million, and 137 medals awarded the tarnished medals had been awarded to phants” that were built with “no planning.” The something usable.” Patricia Amorim, the undersecretary for during the games are rusting and need to be Americans. “Most of the problems were due to scathing report offered Monday at a public Rio de Janeiro spend about $12 billion to sports in the city of Rio, said highly publicized repaired. Former Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo handling, poor handling,” Andrada said. “Either hearing confirms what The Associated Press organize the games, which were plagued by plans were on hold to dismantle one arena and Paes, the moving force with the International they fell on the floor or they were touching reported several months after the games end- cost-cutting, poor attendance, and reports of turn the remains into four schools. The arena Olympic Committee behind organizing last each other so, it was a problem of handling. ed. Many of the venues are empty, boarded bribes and corruption linked to the building was the venue for handball. “It will be disman- year’s Olympics, is being investigated for Whatever was the problem with the poor han- up, and have no tenants or income with the of some Olympic-related facilities. The tled,” she said. “We are just waiting to know allegedly accepting at least 15 million reals ($5 dling, it took the gloss off the medal and then maintenance costs dumped on the federal Olympic Park in suburban Barra da Tijuca, whether we will actually have resources to million) in payments to facilitate construction you see rusting.” He said the medals would be government. “There was no planning,” federal which was the largest cluster of venues, is an build these schools on other sites, or whether projects tied to the games. repaired at Brazil’s mint, called the Casa da prosecutor Leandro Mitidieri told the public expanse of empty arenas with clutter still we will dismantle it and wait for the resources He denies any wrongdoing. Organizing Moeda. He said more than 2,000 medals were hearing on the Olympics. “There was no plan- remaining from the games. The second to come. Our schools need to be reformed and committee spokesman Mario Andrada said awarded at the Olympics and said “several oth- ning when they put out the bid to host the largest cluster, in the northern area of that’s our priority, not new schools.” Nine more than 100 medals awarded at the er games had problems with medals.”—AP A year before WCup, Russian clubs battle financial woes MOSCOW: Kuban Krasnodar’s fans hoped wages delayed, and in the second division, that signing Andrei Arshavin would herald the FNL, it’s 50 percent,” says Nikolai long-awaited success for their club. The Grammatikov, head of one of Russia’s two local governor hoped for a pre-election competing players’ unions. “We expect that boost. By July 2015, Arshavin had lost the next year’s going to be even tougher,” much of the pace and attacking skill which Grammatikov adds. “I don’t want to have a made him a star in England for Arsenal professional club if I am a regional gover- years earlier, but he was still among Russia’s nor because it’s too much expense.” best-known footballers. Like most Russian In an ominous sign for the legacy of top-flight clubs, Kuban had a close financial next year’s World Cup, just five of the 11 relationship with the regional government, host cities will have a Premier League club so Arshavin flew to the southern city of next season, with the other six represented Krasnodar for a much-publicized meeting in the lower divisions, where financial with governor Veniamin Kondratyev before problems are typically more severe. signing a contract. Regional governments and state-owned The two posed for pictures in typical companies, like Zenit St Petersburg’s own- Russian official style, facing each other er Gazprom, own more than half of clubs across a conference table with flags in the in the top flight and almost all in the sec- background. Two months later, Kondratyev ond tier. Several other clubs have close won re-election with 83 percent of the commercial links with government organi- vote. Five months after that, as the Russian zations. With the Russian government hav- economy plunged, Arshavin left Kuban ing slashed spending on social services amid reports the club had stopped paying recently, paying large sums to rich players his 2.5-million-euro salary ($2.5-million). is an extra burden for state officials. Kuban was soon relegated and is now It’s less attractive for the state as a PR floundering in the Russian league’s second instrument, too, following recent poor tier. Last month, local media reported it results in European competitions by faced a lawsuit from tax authorities seek- Russia’s clubs and the national team, says ing to have the club declared bankrupt. Russian football writer Evgeny After years of the state bankrolling big- Dzichkovsky. “There’s just no money,” money transfers and foreign stars’ wages, Dzichkovsky says. “Earlier (state officials) NASHVILLE: Anaheim Ducks right wing Ondrej Kase (86), of the Czech Republic, shoots the puck past Nashville Predators defenseman Matt many Russian clubs are in financial trouble, sometimes sacrificed other areas for foot- Irwin (52) for a goal during the second period in Game 6 of the Western Conference final in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs on Monday, even as the country prepares to host next ball, but that’s harder now because of the May 22, 2017. — AP year’s World Cup. “Twenty-five percent of contrast between football clubs and the the clubs in the Premier League have rest of society. —AP Predators shoot down Ducks Vunipola ‘big loss’ for Lions LONDON: The withdrawal of Billy Vunipola “He is a big loss to us, but I fully under- to reach Stanley Cup Finals was a “big loss” to the British and Irish Lions stand the decision he made to not go on but more injuries can be expected before the tour.” Gatland has already lost England the tour of New Zealand is over, Coach scrumhalf Ben Youngs, who pulled out for MIAMI: Colton Sissons’ third goal of the game Warren Gatland has said. Number eight family reasons and was replaced by Greg at 14:00 of the third period broke a tie and led Vunipola pulled out of the 41-man squad Laidlaw, and has a private list of players on the Predators to a 6-3 win over the Anaheim on Monday because of an ongoing shoul- standby in case of further injuries. Haskell Ducks on Monday as Nashville clinched their World Cup - Asia der injury and was replaced by another was devastated not to be selected in the first trip to the Stanley Cup finals. With the English loose forward in James Haskell. initial squad after also missing out on the score ties at 3-3, Sissons ripped home a one- “Any player who gets injured at this time is two previous tours but was not celebrating timer from the left circle that was set up by overtakes Africa a big loss to the squad,” Gatland told British just yet. “I am over the moon but so much Calle Jarnkrok, three seconds after the media. “You’ve spent a lot of time going can happen,” Haskell said. “Until I’m on the Predators killed off a power-play following a through the process of picking players and plane, I won’t really start that enjoyment...” delay-of-game call on Roman Josi. “There was a CHANGSHA: Asia has overtaken Africa and now it’s a third of the world’s population.” planning and preparing so to lose some- There was some good news on the turnover and I got lost on the back side,” he looks the more likely continent to produce a one is disappointing. injury front for Gatland, however, with said of his tie-breaking goal. “Calle made a World Cup-winning team, according to the for- ‘ENTHUSIASTIC FOR ASIA’ “Given the history of the Lions we plan Lions captain Sam Warburton confirming beautiful pass, and fortunately I put it away.” mer England goalkeeper David James. Speaking The World Cup will return to the Asian con- to lose anywhere between six and 10 play- on Monday he had recovered from a knee Filip Forsberg and Austin Watson iced the win at the World Football Forum in Changsha, James federation at Qatar 2022, and China is actively ers.