RIO DE JANEIRO, July 30 (Reuters) - Workers struggled to keep the roof on the giant marquee holding Saturday’s 2014 World Cup draw as high winds threatened to tear it off.
The winds blew across the Marina da Gloria on Rio’s beautiful shoreline causing serious problems to the top of the temporary auditorium specially erected for the draw.
Security barriers more than two metres high all around the complex were also taken down because of the risk posed to more than 2,000 people at the event, including officials, guests and journalists.
Rio’s nearby Santos Dumont airport was closed for reasons of security and also to avoid interference to the broadcasting of the draw to an estimated six million viewers.
The draw is the first major milestone on the way to the 2014 finals in Brazil involving close to 200 countries.
A small group of demonstators gathered outside the complex holding the event in a protest against the controversial Ricardo Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Football confederation and the World Cup’s local organising committee.
The unpopular Teixeira has been involved in spats with British reporters over the past few days and has also been the butt of criticism for not inviting Pele to the event.
Pele, however, was present thanks to his appointment this week by Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff as the country’s special World Cup ambassador.
Pele, warmly applauded when he was introduced to the audience, was actually sitting next to Teixeira for the duration of the ceremony.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter opened proceedings saying that soccer was the “beating heart” of Brazil, and that he had trust and confidence the country would be ready to stage a great World Cup in three years time.
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