Brazil sports minister leaves post

Brazilia, March 31:The Brazilian government announced the departure of Sports Minister George Hilton, just four months before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Hilton last week left the Brazilian Republican Party (PRB) amid speculation that it was preparing to end its coalition with the government. But according to reports on Wednesday, the PRB has since reaffirmed its alliance with President Dilma Rousseff's Workers' Party, reports Xinhua.

Hilton, who was sports minister for 16 months, has been replaced on an interim basis by the government's high performance sports secretary Ricardo Leyser.

In an official statement, Rousseff thanked Hilton for his "work and dedication".