Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The Pan American Games got off to a sputtering start Saturday with baseball postponements and reports of a delay in televising gymnastics, one of the premier sports at the event.
Organizers postponed two baseball games – the United States vs. the Dominican Republic and Brazil against Nicaragua – after a power outage at the new venue. Lighting problems did not affect the earlier games between Panama and Cuba, and Venezuela and Mexico.
It was not the way the Brazilians wanted to begin the biggest sporting event they have ever hosted, particularly since they are seeking to stage the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.
ESPN Brazil reported problems at another new venue, the Rio Multisport Arena, that led to the delay of television coverage of the men’s team gymnastics competition Saturday. But much of the event wound up on TV.
Organizers said the delay was caused by problems with the broadcast cables inside the arena.
Basketball also is scheduled for that site, later in the Pan Am Games. The U.S. baseball team of college players has not played since July 8 and was eager to get started. The postponement left the players scrambling for a practice facility, and they hadn’t yet been told when the rescheduled game would take place. They are supposed to face Nicaragua today.
“We still have to play the game, basically whether it’s today or Tuesday or whenever,” team spokesman Niall Adler said. “It’s always been kind of a challenge throughout our three-week tour to be able to practice and play.”
The opening ceremony was accompanied by a few problems Friday night at the famed Maracana Stadium, but was a spectacular show.
Security was so strict that many fans couldn’t get to the newly renovated stadium in time. The ceremony began late with many seats empty, and hundreds of would-be participants stuck in lines stretching for blocks outside, waiting to pass through metal detectors and inspection.
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was booed every time his name was mentioned and he did not give the scheduled speech to officially open the Games. He was hastily replaced by Brazilian Olympic Committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman.
Organizers temporarily allowed the fans through a security checkpoint and into parts of the media area to get food on Saturday because the public food kiosk was closed because of what organizers called “an energy outage.”
Later in the afternoon, guards at the checkpoint stopped fans from entering.
