Chinese fencers robbed at Rio

Rio de Janeiro, April 24 (IANS) Chinese women taking part in the Rio Fencing Grand Prix and the Team World Championship finals have been robbed here.

The fencers and their coaches were robbed as they made their way from a seaside supermarket to their hotel with a trolley after buying bottles of water, reports Xinhua.

Three to four Brazilian teenagers came up to them. One tried to snatch the necklace of Xu Anqi, the world No.1 woman epee fencer. As Xu held on to her necklace and her teammates came around, the robbers fled.

"I'm familiar with Rio but this time I feel a bit afraid after being robbed," said Xu after clinching the silver medal in Saturday's women's epee individual event.

Meanwhile, two shooters from the Chinese team also on Saturday saw their credit cards charged by unauthorized payments.

With less than four months towards the Rio Olympics, security concerns are again drawing attention, Xinhua said.

An estimated 500,000 tourists and athletes are expected to descend on Rio during the Olympics. Brazilian security officials are under pressure to tighten security for the most complex sporting event ever.

The country will employ roughly 85,000 security agents during the Olympics this August, more than twice the number at the London Olympic Games.