Rio 2016 president calls for sporting innovations at senior Olympics

From Sportsbeat staff, in Singapore

 HAVING spearheaded Rio's successful bid to take the Olympics into South America, Carlos Nuzman is used to breaking new ground - and now he wants to pioneer the modernising of sports at the 2016 Games.

CROWD PLEASER: Three-on-three basketball has proved a hit at the Youth Olympic Games (Singapore Press Holdings)

Rio 2016 president Nuzman is currently in Singapore for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, which features a number of sporting innovations, designed to add vibrancy and colour.

Those include mixed swimming relay teams, team archery competitions, canoeing events that combine flat water and slalom events and perhaps the most eye-catching, three-a-side basketball where both teams shoot at one goal.

Nuzman has history as an Olympic harbinger, having been pivotal to beach volleyball's inclusion at Barcelona 1992 as the president of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation between 1975 and 1995.

He also represented Brazil at Tokyo 1964 when volleyball made its Olympic debut, and has already welcomed the additions of golf and rugby sevens to Rio 2016.

And Nuzman is convinced some of the sporting innovations introduced in Singapore are transferrable to the Youth Olympic Games' senior sibling.

"I have a progressive stance," said Nuzman. "I am for attracting youngsters to the Olympic Games. And nothing is better to do that than modernising the Games itself, creating alternative events.

"The three-on-three basketball introduced in Singapore is fantastic, and I'm in favour of its adoption at the Olympic Games. We need to be bold to change."

Nuzman also called for countries who do not yet believe they are ready to stage the Olympics, to bid to host the youth equivalent.

"The Youth Olympic Games should be hosted by countries that believe it's not their time yet to organise the Olympic Games," he added.

"We need to have that in mind. That's how I see these Games."