By Nick Butler

The meeting will be held in the capital city of Brasilia on April 1 ©Latin Content/Getty ImagesMarch 29 - A meeting billed as "fundamentally important" to Rio 2016 has been put back five days and is now due to take place on Tuesday (April 1), insidethegames understands.


The meeting, announced at the conclusion of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission visit to Rio last week, will be hosted by the Federal Government Department in Brasilia and was scheduled to take place last Thursday (March 27).

It will be attended by Federal, State and City-level authorities and key Games stakeholders, including Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff's chief of staff Aloizio Mercadente, although no-one from the IOC is due to be present.

Although a regular meeting, it was described as "more important than other meetings with a need to have a positive outcome" by IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli, with its timing following the Coordination Commission visit giving it particular significance.

The IOC have claimed there is "not a moment to lose" in preparing the city for the Games, particularly as the first test event is due to take place in sailing in August. 

Although no exact details on the likely contents of the meeting were given, it can be assumed issues featuring highly will include water pollution, anti-doping, venue construction and the infrastructural budget for the Games.

There is no reason to suggest the postponement is anything more than a routine and logistical measure.

But any more delays to a meeting billed as so crucial will surely be a major worry for both the Organising Committee and the IOC.

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