FIFA gives Rio Games green light to Manaus

RIO DE JANEIRO: FIFA’s Organising Committee on Monday confirmed Manaus as a sixth city chosen to host football action at next year’s Rio Olympics.
There had been fears in Brazil that the 41,000-capacity Amazonia Arena, built for last year’s World Cup at a cost of $270 million, would end up as a “white elephant” as Manaus boasts no top flight football club to fill it. Moreover, FIFA had initially indicated it opposed staging matches some 3000km (1870 miles) away from the host city.
But world football’s governing body relented amid concern over whether pitches in Rio and fellow World Cup venues Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo and Salvador would stand up to multiple use in early rounds.