Rio, July 3 (official website of Rio DE Janeiro Olympic Organizing Committee) – The construction of three sports halls at the Rio 2016 Games Barra Olympic Park has began as planned. These venues will host basketball, taekwondo, Olympic and Paralympic judo, wrestling, wheelchair basketball, boccia, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair rugby.

Funding for the sports halls has been secured through a public-private partnership (PPP) between the City Government and the Rio Mais Consortium. The agreement will also fund the Main Press Centre (MPC), the International Broadcast Centre (IBC), a hotel and the infrastructure at the Olympic Village, in addition to construction and maintenance of the park’s infrastructure for 15 years.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, the City Government is aiming to obtain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the construction of the halls and the other permanent venues at the park. This certification system verifies environmental prerequisites on how buildings are designed, constructed and operated in a bid to reduce their environmental impact.

The three sports halls will form part of the Olympic Training Centre (OTC) after the Games, the first of its kind in Brazil. The training centre for elite athletes will be a lasting sporting legacy for the host country and will also consist of the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, the Velodrome and the Tennis Centre.