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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Not even a day after his arrival in Rio de Janeiro and just hours after attending the Brazil-England soccer friendly at the citys legendary Maracana stadium, a sports columnist for the Daily Mail newspaper was held up at knifepoint as he strolled along Copacabana Beach. Adrian Durham darted into oncoming traffic to get away, and in the end the would-be mugger didnt make off with anything. But the June 2 incident, which Durham described in a recent column, has served as a warning for the tens of thousands of foreign visitors expected to flood into Brazil for this weeks Confederations Cup soccer tournament. Its only the first of a series of high-profile events Rios is gearing up to host, among them a papal visit in July, next years World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Security has long been a major problem in Brazil, where heavily armed drug lords control swaths of territory that are off-limits to law enforcement and where petty crime often turns fatal. As part of its Olympic bid, Brazils government pledged to curb the violence, and major strides have been made in recent years, particularly in Rio, where the police are now present in more than 200 hillside "favela" slums. But the country still has an alarmingly high murder rate, and knife- and gun-point muggings, carjackings and armed robberies continue to be facts of daily life. Rio alone has seen a spate of recent incidents, including the March gang rape of an American student aboard a public transit van and the shooting last Saturday of a Brazilian engineer who, because of faulty signs, took a wrong turn and drove into an unpacified favela. Brazilian officials have brought in drones, thermal cameras and thousands of troops to patrol the six stadiums hosting Confederations Cup events. But experts say visitors like Durham will be immediately vulnerable once they venture away from secured areas, and in fact, may run even a greater risk than usual, with many police having been called off their regular street duties to patrol the stadiums environs. "Street lighting and police presence need to be stepped up dramatically before the World Cup -- and then the Olympics -- come here," Durham wrote in his column. "Attitudes need to change -- locals clearly just accept that crime happens and have no desire to tackle it." Brazils epidemic of everyday violence makes ensuring security at the upcoming mega-events doubly complicated: Not only must officials plan for threats such as terrorism that overshadow any event of global scale, they also have to keep a lid on day-to-day violence, which some observers predict could reach a fever pitch with the influx of an estimated 60,000 foreign tourists. Officials said theyve already deployed the most extensive security apparatus ever in Brazil for the Confederations Cup, a two-week tournament thats regarded as a dry run for next years World Cup. "We are strongly concerned with ensuring safety and security to all our athletes, tourists, heads of state and delegations," Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo told reporters on a conference call earlier this week. "Special attention is given to this matter particularly in light of prior tragedies" like the slaying of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the Boston Marathon bombings in April. Some 45,000 personnel will be deployed in the tournaments six host cities, according to SESGE, the government agency created in 2011 to co-ordinate security at the mega-events. That means a hodgepodge of Brazilian law enforcement agencies, from federal and state police officers to municipal guards to highway patrol, will be patrolling key sites such as airports and stadium surroundings. Inside the venues, world soccers governing body, FIFA, will rely on private guards. According to SESGE, one guard will be assigned for every 50 spectators at the matches, which kick off on Saturday when Brazil plays Japan in the tournaments opening game in the capital, Brasilia. In addition to 3,500 military police officers, the security detail at Saturdays match will also include a battalion of riot police with two armoured vehicles, a canine unit of sniffer dogs trained to detect drugs and explosives as well as eight sharpshooters, said Fabio Pizetta, the head of Brazilias riot police division. The crackdown will also make use of the latest technology, with stadium fly-overs by Air Force fighter jets and helicopters kitted out with surveillance equipment including high-resolution, night-vision and thermal cameras, SESGE has said. Nearby buses will receive the surveillance images and help co-ordinate any police response. The police have also been purchasing unmanned drones, which they may deploy during Pope Francis July 22-28 visit to Rio, as well as during the World Cup, media reports have suggested. In total, the government is expected to invest around $550 million in public security for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup, according to SESGE. Despite the investment, security experts assessments of the Brazilian strategy remain mixed. Joe Biundini, who heads the FAM International Group security firm, said he didnt anticipate any issues inside the stadiums but was worried about the potential terror threat posed by Brazils porous, 15,700 kilometre-long land border. Although Brazil has never before been the target of an international terror attack, he said, the Boston Marathon bombings showed big sporting events are prime targets. "The borders arent as secure as they could be. Right now, the door to Brazil is wide open," said Biundini, a Brazilian-born former U.S. marine whose company has studied security risks in the Confederations Cup. Biundini added that the terror threat could come from the notoriously crime ridden tri-border region where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. "Theres real potential there for the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction" through the area, he said. With public security forces concentrated around the stadiums, public transit hubs and other outlying areas could become more vulnerable to potential attacks, as well as to petty criminals, Biundini said. Authorities have promised to beef up personnel at airports by more than 75 per cent during the Confederations Cup, but ground has yet to be broken on many planned renovations aimed at making the host cities cramped, outdated airports safer and more comfortable. "I think the plan they have in place is good on paper, but whether it actually works will depend on communication" between at least 12 different government agencies with roles in the security detail, Biundini said. "Theyll certainly make lots of mistakes (during the Confederations Cup) but hopefully theyll learn from them for the World Cup." Stephen Curry Shoes UK . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Under Armour Clutchfit Drive 2 Black . 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ATLANTA -- Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson says hes not fretting about his job security.Yet, its clearly on his mind.He certainly didnt shy away from it Tuesday.When asked during his weekly news conference whether an upset win at Virginia Tech helped ease some of the disappointments of the past two seasons, Johnson used the opportunity to staunchly defend his record with the Yellow Jackets.Truthfully, Ive never worried about that stuff, Johnson said, turning the question into a referendum on his nine seasons at the Atlantic Coast Conference school. If they think they can get somebody better, they ought to go get `em. Thats certainly their right.Georgia Tech went 3-9 a year ago and endured a three-game losing streak this season, but the Yellow Jackets (6-4, 3-4 ACC) became bowl eligible with a 30-20 victory over then-No. 18 Virginia Tech last weekend.They face Virginia (2-8, 1-5) in their home finale Saturday, before closing the regular season at state rival Georgia.My job is to try to take the players that we have and make them be the best they can be -- make sure theyre going to school, make sure theyre graduating and staying out of trouble, Johnson said. Do you want to win every game? Yeah. Do you want to win the league? Yeah. But if you look back and youre realistic, historically that hasnt happened every year here.There has been plenty of speculation about Johnsons future, especially with Georgia Tech bringing on a new athletic director, Todd Stansbury. The coach has also faced persistent questions about his run-oriented, triple-option offense, with some critics saying it prevents the Yellow Jackets from recruiting elite players on that side of the ball.The coach insists the complaints are largely driven by the media.I think the speculation is you guys, Johnson told reporters. I might live in a cave, but I dont see it. I dont get it froom our administration.dddddddddddd I dont get it from our fan base. I dont get it from our alumni. I see where you guys write about it in the paper, or they talk about it on the radio. But, like I said, I dont worry about that. It wouldnt do me any good to worry about it.Johnsons record at Georgia Tech is 67-48, including a 41-30 mark in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets have reached the conference championship game three times, winning in 2009 even though the crown was later vacated because of NCAA violations.In 2014, Georgia Tech went 11-3 and defeated Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl for its first victory in a major bowl since the 1960s.Outside of that dismal showing in 2015, the Yellow Jackets have largely played up to their potential, Johnson believes, and dealt as well as they could with some of the limitations caused by academics, budget constraints and the difficulty of drawing fans in the crowded Atlanta market.We had one really rough season, Johnson said. We got everybody hurt and went 3-9.Stansbury, a former Georgia Tech player, is set to take over as athletic director at the end of the month. He is sure to face plenty of questions about his relationship with the 59-year-old Johnson and whether someone else is better suited to guide the program.Ive talked to Todd one time: the day he got hired. We traded texts on Saturday, Johnson said. Once again, thats kind of media driven on how this is going to be a huge change. I mean, Im going to coach the football team and I guess hes going to be the athletic director. I would imagine if he wanted another football coach, hell go get one. Thats the way it works. Hell be the third AD Ive had here, so it is what it is.Im just going to do my job and he can do his job. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Authentic Jerseys ' ' '