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Rio cancels Olympic tennis center contract

Xinhua, January 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Rio de Janeiro's city government has canceled a contract to build the Olympic tennis centre, mayor Eduardo Paes said on Thursday.

The consortium responsible for the project was also fined 11 million reais (2.8 million US dollars) for delays and contract breaches, according to the city's official gazette.

The group comprised local firms IBEG Engenharia e Construções, Tangran Engenharia and Grupo Damiani.

Paes said the tennis center was 90% complete and guaranteed it would be finished in time for the Games, which begin on August 5.

"There is very little work left to do," Paes told reporters. "We are going to take the necessary measures to make sure that the project is resumed as soon as possible."

Last week former tennis center construction workers were accused of setting fire to a container near the venue.

The workers had earlier staged a protest claiming they were owed money by the consortium. Endit