In Brief : Sao Paulo Backs Out as Games Host

Organizers of this year’s University Games have asked Seoul, host to the 1988 Olympics, to replace Sao Paulo as host due to Brazil’s financial problems, the South Korean sports ministry said today.

The request was made at a meeting of the International University Sports Federation in Rome last week, a spokesman said.

“One of our delegates to the meeting received the request, but we have not made our position known yet,” he said, adding that Seoul is likely to reject the offer.

“If we host the University Games just one year after the Olympics, the people may not accept it,” he said.

“I understand many countries do not want to host the Universiad for fear that the games, with a small television revenue, will be unprofitable.”

Sao Paulo was named to stage the 1989 University Games in a general meeting of the international federation in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, in August, 1987.