Natal: World Cup Host City 2014

31 May, 2014

Read in English below | Leia em Português aqui

By Wellington Medeiros
By Graham Douglas

One of the most famous coastlines, most sought after by Brazilians, and by an increasing number of foreigners, the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, forms a corner with the Atlantic at the extreme edge of Brazil. It offers visitors breathtaking scenery, bathed by clear warm waters, where it is normal during low tide, to relax in a natural swimming pool filled by sea water.
The capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, brings together beautiful beaches, dunes, and a rich cultural life. The city has this name because, on 25th December 1597, Admiral Antônio da Costa Valente and his men entered the mouth of the Potengi river, after several failed attempts at colonisation. This date became the capital’s anniversary. During the Dutch invasion (between 1633 and 1654), a number of improvements were made in the region. Later, during World War 2, the city served as a base for the South Atlantic patrols, mainly by the US, which provided a lot of growth. With the strengthening of its tourist economy, the city now shows one of the best qualities of life and urban organisation in the Northeast of Brazil.

Anyone lucky enough to enjoy the four World Cup games of FIFA 2014 in the Potiguan capital, runs the risk of forgetting about football, and being carried away to unmissable destinations, like the beach at Pipa, just over 50 kilometres to the south, where it is possible to glimpse dolphins and enjoy the big waves which have attracted surfers to the place since the 1970s.
About 40 kilometres further on, another sight awaits the visitor: Formosa Bay enchants with its formations of cliffs and white dunes. The place has still not been completely discovered, so there are still some almost unspoilt parts.
The biggest salt producer in Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte charms tourists with its high and incredibly white dunes, which help to mark the amazing contrast between the blue of the sky and the green sea. Besides the more than 400 kilometres of beaches and views which enchant visitors, Rio Grande do Norte has a well developed infrastructure of hotels and services.


The Stadium
 
The scene for four matches during the first stage of the World Cup, the Dunes Arena in Natal was officially inaugurated on January 22 ^nd 2014, in a ceremony attended by President Dilma Rousseff, the Chief Secretary of the Ministry for Sport, Luis Fernandes, and the Governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Rosalina Ciarlini. The new arena is the result of 29 months of works, which began with the demolition of the old João Cláudio Vasconcelos Machado stadium – the Big Machado – inaugurated in 1972, which occupied a part of the ground where the World Cup stage was built. 4,500 workers passed through the site, helping to build a stadium with a capacity for 42,000 fans, (with 10,600 removable seats). 400 million Reais were invested in the project, 396.5 million of which was federal funding via the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES).

Certainly a city as beautiful as Natal deserves a stadium of this size, however there are many challenges to the holding of a good sporting event. The city does not offer good quality public services, including transport, forcing tourists to hire cars in order to move around better. And in common with most states in Brazil, Natal has innumerable social problems. Certainly the money spent on this beautiful stadium, could solve many problems, not just in the city, but in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, which is experiencing a terrible drought, and is not receiving the support it should, either from the state or the federal government, to solve this age-old problem. Now, it only remains to hope that the event will be a success, and that the world can know a bit more about this beautiful and pleasant city.