BRASILIA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government on Wednesday 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 it was preparing to end its coalition with the government.

But the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported on Wednesday that the PRB has since reaffirmed its alliance with President Dilma Rousseff's Workers' Party.

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".