Sports
Rio court orders Maracana stadium repairs
Rio de Janeiro : A Brazilian court has ordered the Rio 2016 organising committee to undertake repair work at the iconic Maracana stadium after it was left abandoned earlier this year.
Rio de Janeiro judge Maria Paula Gouvea Galhardo said Rio 2016 would be fined $30,000 a day if work was not finished within 30 days, reports Xinhua news agency.
Tuesday’s decision came after Rio’s state government argued that Rio 2016 breached contract terms by failing to return the stadium in the same condition it was received for last year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The venue was left in a state of disrepair last month amid a legal battle over who was responsible for the venue’s upkeep.
The parched surface was infested with worms, several windows and doors were smashed and around 10 percent of the stadium’s seats were ripped from their places.
Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrada said a $160,000 budget had been set aside to return the stadium to its previous condition.
“We recognise that the stadium had to be returned (in good condition) and we will comply with the decision,” Andrada told local media.
He added that work would include painting, fixing of the press-room ceiling, the replacement of broken glass and repairs to restrooms.
According to Andrada, the stadium has no structural problems.
The Maracana was refurbished for the 2014 FIFA World Cup at a cost of $500 million.
It is operated by a consortium led by local engineering firm Odebrecht, which is mired in one of Latin America’s biggest ever corruption scandals.
Home
Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.