Officials in the Honor Ceremony in the Federal

Senate of Brazil, Photo: Aldo Dias/ASCOM-ME

On the morning of 26th September, the Federal Senate of Brazil offered an Honor Ceremony to the Pan and Parapan American Games Rio 2007, highlighting the athletes and sports managers participation in the competition. Several officials were present during the ceremony as the Brazilian Minister of Sports, Orlando Silva, Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) President, Andrew Parsons, Rio 2007 Organizing Committee (CO-RIO) President, Carlos Arthur Nuzman and Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) President, Vital Severino Neto.

“We had astonishing sport results surprising all of us. In the Paralympic Sports, we were the first in the ranking, with two times more medals than Canada, which is very powerful country in Sports” recall the CPB President.

The ceremony was organized by the Education Commission of the Brazilian Federal Senate, in Brasília, and hosted by the President of the Commission, Senator Cristóvão Buarque. “ Today is an important day for the Federal Senate, that is offering its compliment and recognition to the successful job of the directors/managers for the organization of Pan and Parapan Games, where Brazil could be proud of itself. With such success, our country is qualified to bring new events and in a world basis” said the Senator, suggesting that the directors were awarded by the President.

During the ceremony, analyses of the organization of the Games were presented to the senators by CO-RIO President, Carlos Arthur Nuzman. He showed results with numbers and the repercussion of the games within the public and sport directors and officials. “The results we have obtained, allow us to look with optimism to the future of the Brazilian sport.”

The Minister of Sports, Orlando Silva, asserted that the federal government purposes were reached, stressing the engagement of the Ministries in the event. “The Government of the President Lula was totally involved and committed with the success of the games. What we all saw was team work engaging more than 12 Ministries and several autarchies, with the aim to prove the organizational capacity of Brazil.