That said, a dog with a blog. And a forthcoming book release…

 

But no. Bo couldn’t make that claim, because the statesman with whom he regularly communes, despite his soaring appeal with the American people, doesn’t believe he is the most popular politician on earth.

 

That distinction, Barack Obama maintained at the recent G20 summit, belongs to another president - Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil. In front of whom I had the distinction of sitting the other week in a penthouse flat overlooking the anthill activity of London 2012’s emerging Olympic Park.

 

As President Lula prepared to address the gathering of Olympic scribes who had assembled to hear his views on London’s progress, and the prospects of Rio de Janeiro becoming hosts of the next summer Games hosts in 2016, there was a feeling of suspense that could not be entirely explained by the hour’s delay in the press conference beginning.

 

The President was flanked with top class Olympic team-mates - Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral, governor of the state of Rio, Sports Minister Orlando Silva and Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

 

It appeared to be a classic five-man Brazilian forward line. And there was no doubt about who was Pele.

 

Cabral, at inside left, picked the ball up from the kick off and produced some effective work in midfield with telling references to Brazil’s history of hosting major events – such as the World Cup finals of 1950 and, a little more recently, the Rolling Stones concert at Copacabana – before floating over a perfect pass in the form of a reference to Obama’s estimation of the man sitting on his right.

 

President Lula smiled bashfully down into his hands. He seemed about to speak.

 

But this was a Brazilian move, in which the ball had to switch fluently about the field before arriving at the feet of the main man. Rio’s Mayor took up the play from the inside right position, reminding those present that Brazil would be hosting the 2014 World Cup finals and that their economy, unlike some others he could mention, was growing…

 

Now, finally, it was time for the maestro to put his mark on the occasion.

 

As one of his fellow forwards had reminded us, President Lula was at the end of an exhausting tour of duty, having prefaced his attendance at London’s G20 leaders’ summit meeting with trips to Chile, Doha and Paris.

 

But the President still looked full of running, and after putting Brazil’s case for hosting the 2016 Games in terms geographical, historical, technological, developmental and economical he used question time to entertain the crowd with the juggling for which he has become beloved. Only very occasionally did the ball appear to run out of his control…

 

In reference to President Lula’s insistence the previous month that the current world economic crisis had been triggered by those who were "white and blue-eyed", a female questioner – who happened to be, as she freely owned, white and blue-eyed – asked him if he felt the International Olympic Committee was ready to recognise the shift in world economic power in their future choices of venue.

 

Gallantly, the President responded to his cue – "when you were asking your question I was looking at your blue eyes" –before developing the image: "Although you have blue eyes, you do not have the look of a banker. You don’t look like someone that has any responsibility for the financial crisis." Good so far, Mr President. "You look like someone who is a victim of the crisis."

 

Sensing by the disconcerted look of his questioner that the tone was in danger of failing at this point, the Brazilian leader switched adeptly to steadier ground as he maintained: "I question that there is any other country that has presented a better proposal than Brazil."

 

The game was back under firm control. But this centre forward could not resist displaying a little more extravagance as he defended Rio’s bid strategy.

 

"We are not going to present lies here," he said. "We are not going to use a magical wand, no tricks, no white elephants. We don’t need to provide any cosmetics for Brazil, because it is already too beautiful."

 

At which point, those present may have glanced down at the front cover of their Rio 2016 booklets, with its message – Live your Passion – set above a panoramic view of gently lapping sea, a long, sandy beach and the dense, blunt headland of Sugarloaf Mountain.

 

As an argument, it transcends words. The Brazilian ball may be heading for the net under its own power.

 

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, has covered the last five Summer and four Winter Olympics for The Independent. Previously he has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. He is now freelancing and will be writing regularly for insidethegames  

 
Comments


You've got to love the old Rowbo - he's as splendid as a cuddly
otter
By Dave Toadstool

22 April 2009 at 19:55pm