Soccer-playing Obama gets hero's welcome in Rio slum

Residents of Rio's City of God slum strained for a glimpse of US President Barack Obama on Sunday, hailing his visit as the latest step forward for a community scarred by poverty and drug violence.

In the acclaimed hit 2002 movie of the same name, City of God was portrayed as a hopelessly drug and violence-plagued neighborhood on the grim outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

That wasn't far from the truth until 2009, when it became part of a drive by Rio de Janeiro to expel armed drug traffickers from some of the city's hundreds of slums and install police occupation forces to prevent their return.

These days, it is part of an encouraging trend for Rio as it seeks to crack down on drug violence in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup soccer championship and the 2016 Olympics.

Even so, few residents could have dreamed the world's most powerful man would ever be here kicking around a soccer ball with local kids, as he did on Sunday.

"I can't believe this is happening! We always suffered, we were humiliated and now the whole world is looking at us in a positive light," shouted an exuberant Cristina Ribeiro, 43, a nurse's aide who trembled with joy as she stood pressed against a security cordon with hundreds of excited onlookers.

Obama's motorcade quickly swept past into a gymnasium where, accompanied by wife Michelle and his two daughters, he watched children perform Brazil's musical martial art Capoeira. The First Lady clapped in rhythm and tried in vain to get her daughters to do the same.

Obama then assured himself the approval of Brazilians, whose passion for soccer is legendary, by kicking around a ball with a local youth team.

"He's got some natural talent for the game, but it's not totally developed," police Sgt. Orlando Muniz, the team's coach, said of the basketball-loving Obama.

Tight security meant Obama made only a brief one-minute appearance to wave to crowds on the street. Many never caught a glimpse of him, instead posing for pictures with a well-known Brazilian Obama look-alike.

"I'm just so happy he's here because that's going to bring more visibility for the City of God, and that will mean more investment in our community," said Claudia Rodrigues, 43, a teacher dressed in a yellow-and-green Brazil T-shirt.

Rio's fortunes have turned around after decades of decline left the city once known as a tropical paradise struggling to control rampant drug violence and poverty.

Improved security, the discovery of huge new oil reserves and the prospect of hosting the World Cup and the Olympics have boosted investor interest in the beachside city.