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King Pele punts Rio

COPENHAGEN - Brazil's greatest ever football player, Pele, and Olympic champion swimmer Cesar Cielo have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to change the lives of Brazilian youngsters by awarding the 2016 games to Rio de Janeiro.

COPENHAGEN - Brazil's greatest ever football player, Pele, and Olympic champion swimmer Cesar Cielo have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to change the lives of Brazilian youngsters by awarding the 2016 games to Rio de Janeiro.

Pele said yesterday that sport had changed his life and a Rio Olympics would do the same for others.

"Everything I get in my life is through sport," the three-time World Cup winner said.

Cielo said his life had changed since winning gold in the 50m freestyle at the Beijing Games.

"If one year completely changed my life I can imagine what the Olympics could achieve for the whole of South America," hesaid.

Rio is competing with Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo for the 2016 hosting rights, which will be decided in a secret ballot of IOC members tomorrow.

A Rio Olympics would be the first for South America. -Sapa-AP

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