28 Mar 2013

Further concerns for Brazil ahead of World Cup and Olympics

5:36 am on 28 March 2013

Brazil's preparations for the football World Cup and Olympic Games have run into further difficulties after local authorities closed a Rio de Janeiro stadium because of roof problems.

The Joao Havelange stadium which is due to host the athletics competition during the 2016 Games, is to be shut until the matter is resolved.

The stadium will not be used for the Confederations Cup in June or the 2014 World Cup.

The closure comes as Rio's Maracana stadium, which hosted the final of the 1950 World Cup, is undergoing a makeover amid concern that reconstruction falling behind schedule.

There's also concern the development of mass transit projects, the modernisation of the city's port area and the construction of the Olympic village are also falling behind schedule.