Brazil is set to send around 200 Olympic athletes to Europe so they can continue training as the South American country’s coronavirus outbreak is so severe.
The President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), Paulo Wanderley Teixeira, has confirmed the group of around 200 athletes will be sent to Europe in groups between July and December to train as they prepare for the Tokyo Games set to be held next summer.
The measure is part of the Emergency Support Programme for the Olympic System, with Portugal the first country chosen as a destination for the athletes due to its advanced stage in the fight against COVID-19.
There is also a good relationship between the Portuguese and Brazilian Olympic Committees, with the Brazilian team using Portugal as its base to acclimatise for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Teixeira said: “The COB understand the peculiar moment the world is passing through, with a direct impact on all sections of society, including sport.
“In this sense, we will fulfil our role of keeping the Olympic System healthy and offer our athletes the best training and performance conditions, with maximum safety.”
The project is in its final planning stages, with the COB paying for the athletes’ travel, accommodation and food for six months.
The Tokyo Games were postponed until July 2021 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Brazil has registered 584,016 cases of COVID-19 and 32,548 deaths.
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