Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Photo courtesy Renato Sette Camara/Rio Municipal Government

With the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro now less than 200 days away, the Brazilian city has cancelled the construction contract for the Olympic tennis center.

The construction consortium made up of local builders IBEG Engenharia e Construcoes, Tangran Engenharia and Grupo Damiani has been made responsible for delays and breach of contract for the venue, which is believed to be 90 per cent finished.

According to Rio De Janeiro’s Official Gazette, the consortium has also been fined 11 million Brazilian reals (US$2.75 million).

The consortium said in a statement it was “totally perplexed” by the cancelled contract and planned to go to court seeking money from the city for financial losses and damage to the member companies’ reputations.

Last week, laid-off construction workers who had been building the venue protested outside, saying they were owed money by the consortium. A container caught fire, but no damage was done to venues and no one was injured.

Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.