By Nelson Belen, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Though it’s still three years away, the Brazilian Olympic Committee just officially announced it has reached an agreement with the Japan Olympic Committee and Tokyo city officials for six training facilities in Tokyo for Brazilian athletes in the 2020 Games.
The agreement was announced at a signing ceremony this week in Tokyo attended by Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) chairman Carlos Arthur Nuzman, Japan Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda and local Tokyo officials.
“We are sure that the Brazilian athletes will benefit from the best structure in the final preparation phase for the Tokyo Games,” exclaimed Nuzman.
Under the terms of the agreement, the principle training facility for Team Brazil will be at the University of Rikkyo, a private university located in central Tokyo. The university will host the largest contingent of Brazilian athletes during Tokyo 2020. Over one hundred of Brazil’s best from ten different sports will train at the site.
The second largest Team Brazil training facility will be in the Tokyo suburb of Sagamihara where an additional ninety Brazilian Olympic athletes from eight different sports will train. Among the remaining sites announced were Hamamatsu, Enoshima, Ota and Koto.
At the signing ceremony, officials also revealed that, even though they will be far from home, Brazilian athletes will still be able to enjoy Brazilian cuisine, which will be served at the six training sites and at the Olympic Village in Chuo, where a Brazilian restaurant will be set up.
“The facilities [in Tokyo] are of the highest quality and we are very pleased to be able to provide our athletes with all the conditions to train and adapt the best way possible to the local climate and time,” said Nuzman.
Earlier this year, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach appointed Nuzman as a member of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020. The IOC Coordination Commission oversees the organization of the Games.