Hopeful to raise close to 400 million US$ in retail sales from branded merchandise, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee launched its mascots, saying they were inspired by the fauna and flora of Brazil and also featuring various influences from pop culture, along with elements of animation and computer game characters. “The Olympic mascot plays all the Olympic sports and its favorite pastime is making new friends,”says a press release. “Its best friend is the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games mascot. It lives in a tree-house, in the Tijuca Forest, from where it can see the whole city and plan animal adventures. The mascot’s mission is to spread joy throughout the world and celebrate the friendship that flourishes between people from all over the world at this super sports event.“
This article was republished with permission from the editor and publisher of the Sport Intern, Karl-Heinz Huba.