By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – An opinion poll conducted by Ibope Inteligencia less than fifteen days before the start of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro shows that although more than half of Brazilians interviewed hope the Games will be a success, a greater number believe that hosting the Olympics and Paralympics will be more harmful than beneficial for the country.
The survey, published by daily Estado de S. Paulo on Wednesday, July 28th showed that only 32 percent Brazilians believe that Olympics and Paralympics will benefit the country, while sixty percent believe that the Games will have a more negative effect on nation.
In 2014 a poll by Ibope on the expectations of Brazilians for the World Cup Championship showed 43 percent believed that the matches would bring benefits to the country, while forty percent believed in losses.
The survey also revealed that Brazilians would rather have a successful event than see Brazilian athletes win medals. The concern for the success of the sporting event is much greater than during the 2014 World Soccer Cup, when in a similar survey showed that 51 percent of Brazilians believed it was more important that the country win the championship than the success of the event.
The poll showed that Brazilians are also not as enthusiastic for the Games as they were for the World Cup. Almost half, 48 percent, of those interviewed said that their interest in the Games was low while 22 percent said they were very interested.