Rio 2016 hails 'evocative' torch lighting ceremony

Rio 2016 Olympic organizers hailed Thursday's lighting of the Olympic torch as an "evocative" ceremony that "lit up" the Rio Games.

"The flame was brought to life at the site of the ancient Games before setting off on the Olympic torch relay that will cross Greece, Switzerland and Brazil," the official Rio2016 portal said.

The portal highlighted the participation of Brazil's two-time Olympic volleyball champion Giovane Gavio, who was the first Brazilian to carry the torch.

"The ex-athlelte and Rio 2016 volleyball event manager received the symbol of the Olympic Games from Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias, commencing the relay that will pass through Greece, Switzerland and more than 300 Brazilian cities before arriving at the Maracana stadium on August 5 for the opening ceremony," Rio 2016 said.

It quoted Gavio as saying that he wanted "to inspire all Brazilians to participate in the Games."

Brazil's major newspapers drew attention to the country's ongoing political and economic crisis.

"The period of political turbulence and economic crisis was not ignored at the torch-lighting ceremony in Greece," the Globo newspaper said.

"In speeches during the event carried out in Olympia - the birthplace of the Olympic Games - the president of Rio 2016, Carlos Nuzman, and of the IOC, Thomas Bach, sent a message of peace and unity to Brazil."

The Folha de S.Paulo newspaper cited Bach's comments about Rio's "Olympic legacy" in a report that discussed the Games' potential healing effects on Brazil.

"Despite the difficulties that Brazil faces, the flame is an eternal reminder that we are all part of the same humanity. That will be the great legacy for the Rio Games for Brazil and the world," it said.

According to the newspaper, Bach had underlined "the universalness" of the Games, which will be held in South America for the first time.

And it said Thursday's ceremony evoked visions of the Games' beginnings in Olympia more than 2800 years ago.

"[Olympia], which is about 300km from Athens has only 15,000 inhabitants and seems like a village," the newspaper said. "There were priestesses and other characters that were a throwback to ancient Greece."

Rio 2016 chief Nuzman was also quoted in local media saying that the Olympics were helping Brazil to keep a positive frame of mind.

"The Olympic torch brings a message that can and will unite our beloved Brazil, a country that is suffering a lot more than it deserves in search of a better future," Nuzman was quoted as saying by Veja.

Local media also underlined the absence of Dilma Rousseff from the ceremony after Brazil's lower house approved a motion to impeach her on Sunday.