Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said it was "a shame" that Brazil is hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics because the country lacks a sports policy.
"It is a shame that Brazil is hosting the Olympic Games (...) We must handle the legacy of the Olympics in the city," he said in an interview to be aired in full on the ESPN channel Friday.
"It is up to the federal government to create a federal policy."
In the interview, Paes said his city will be left with "a legacy" of infrastructure but said it was unclear who would run the sports centres after the Olympics.
And he described as a "scandal" the fact that top Brazilian sports officials remain in their posts for life, criticised their performance and called for change.
"It is a scandal. It is a shame the way things operate. It is difficult to manage sports in Brazil with the quality of leaders we have.. They stay (in their posts) for life," he complained.
He also had harsh words for football's world governing body FIFA, saying "they only care about stadiums", less than a year before Brazil is to host the World Cup.
In June, more than a million Brazilians took to the streets to protest the high costs of hosting the World Cup and the Olympic Games.
