From riches to rags: Maracana's past glory gone

By Wang Mengzhen | chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies | 2017-02-10 11:48

From riches to rags: Maracana's past glory gone

A view of the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, which was used for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, is seen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Feb 5, 2017. [Photo/VCG] 

Why is this happening?

Maintenance of once-legendary Olympics venues is never an easy job for host cities and countries worldwide. Things have been even tougher for the Brazilians due to disputes over who is in charge of the stadium.

Reports point out that Maracana SA, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee and the state of Rio have been involved in a legal battle over who is responsible for the abandoned stadium.

According to CNN, Rio 2016 has been negotiating the payment of 1.7 million reals ($543,100), more than half of what is owed, to Light SA.

Meanwhile, Maracana SA will pay the remainder of the debt, charging some vendors who used the stadium after the Olympics. It is also looking to hand over stadium maintenance to interested bidders.

Maracana is not the only venue that has suffered after the Rio Olympics. A swimming pool, used as a practice area during the games, has turned orange with mud, rot and dead insects. This has reminded people of the Olympic diving pool, another pool which turned a shade of green last August.

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