Protests in Brazil not to affect WMA, says Perkins

The current protests in Brazil is unlikely to affect the World Masters Athletics (WMA) scheduled in that country in October, according to WMA President Stanley Perkins.

Brazil, currently hosting the Confederations Cup, has been rocked by protests, with people angry with rise in corruption and also the financial burden placed on them by the government in various facets of public life. He also mentioned that the protests have been very peaceful and that the Brazilian government have already initiated steps to appease the protestors.

The Masters meet is  scheduled in Porto Alegre from October 16 to 27.
“I am confident that the issues won’t affect the WMA,” said Perkins, who is here to witness the 34th National Masters Championships.

Perkins said he had noticed improvements in the conduct of the event since last year. “I was here last year as well and there have been improvements in both the level of performance as well as the infrastructure."

On the possiblity of Bangalore having a chance to host the World Masters, Perkins said, “Bangalore right now is not yet ready to host it. We need about three tracks, facilities to cater to about 7000 participants and lots of accommodation. Bangalore is not yet there and even the roads as well as the traffic is bad.

"Saying that, although I have not been to New Delhi, they have as good a chance as any Indian city to host it. They hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010 so they should have all the required facilities."

When asked about the role of government in sports bodies, Perkins said India was a unique case. “In Brazil we actually had to involve the government more but here when we spoke to the local athletics authorities, they seemed to prefer less government control,” he said.