- Title: SPAIN: OLYMPICS GAMES: Madrid presents its candidacy for the Olympic Games
- Date: 8th January 2013
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (JANUARY 8, 2013) (REUTERS) JOSE IGNACIO WERT, EDUCATION MINISTER, ANA BOTELLA, MAYOR OF MADRID, IGNACIO GONZALEZ, MADRID'S REGIONAL PRESIDENT AND ALEJANDRO BLANCO, PRESIDENT OF THE SPANISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SHOWING THE OLYMPIC DOSSIER OF MADRID CANDIDACY BOTELLA SHOWING OLYMPIC DOSSIER WERT, BOTELLA, GONZALEZ AND BLANCO SHOWING OLYMPIC DOSSIER MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE GONZALEZ WITH OLYMPIC DOSSIER MADRID 2020 ICON / BOTELLA AT NEWS CONFERENCE WERT AT NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ANA BOTELLA, MAYOR OF MADRID, SAYING: "Spain deserves these Games and we need them, we need these Games. We have eight months to continue adding support for this extraordinary project and I invite you to come together for the chance to make a dream come true after many years of work." NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE IGNACIO WERT, EDUCATION'S MINISTRY, SAYING: "With austerity as a rule and guide, with respect to the commitments that we've taken on, I have no doubt that the economic return of the Olympic Games in Madrid is going to be positive." PEOPLE AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALIST READING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ANA BOTELLA, MADRID'S MAYOR, SAYING: "Spanish candidacy '2020' as we have seen here, has the support of Spain, a country that wants to show its capacity and potential, a country which has excellent transport, communication and infrastructure, fundamental for a perfect development of such an historical event like the Olympic Games, as the regional President says." NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEJANDRO BLANCO, PRESIDENT OF THE SPANISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, SAYING: "There is no doubt of the economic issue, we don't have to be afraid, we can face it. We can resolve it and we can host a wonderful Games and for that we need the help of everyone; institutions are one part, media are another part, the sports field, business fields. In these difficult times eleven companies have already invested in the Madrid candidacy." JOURNALIST AT NEWS CONFERENCE PEOPLE APPLAUDING AT NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF MADRID OLYMPICS' FILE SPANISH FLAG AND MADRID REGIONAL FLAG VARIOUS OF PEOPLE READING MADRID OLYMPICS' FILE
- Embargoed: 23rd January 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAEPF6I822DPDNJZ98K47XTRBGK
- Story Text: For the third time in a row and the fourth time in its history Madrid presents its candidacy for the Olympic Games.
Officials behind Madrid's bid for the 2020 Olympics sought on Tuesday (January 08) to set out the arguments they hope will convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the Spanish capital will be capable of staging a successful Games despite the parlous state of the nation's finances.
Madrid's mayor Ana Botella said the country deserved and needed the summer Games.
"Spain deserves these Games and we need them, we need these Games. We have eight months to continue adding support for this extraordinary project and I invite you to come together for the chance to make a dream come true after many years of work," Botella said.
Presenting their 370-page bid document at a news conference at City Hall, sports and culture minister Jose Ignacio Wert insisted that hosting the Games would help boost the economy, burnish the country's image and unite Spaniards during tough times.
"With austerity as a rule and guide, with respect to the commitments that we've taken on, I have no doubt that the economic return of the Olympic Games in Madrid is going to be positive," the minister said.
Madrid's mayor added that the Spanish capital had the facilities to make the Olympic dream possible.
"Spanish candidacy '2020' as we have seen here, has the support of Spain, a country that wants to show its capacity and potential, a country which has excellent transport, communication and infrastructure, fundamental for a perfect development of such an historical event like the Olympic Games," Botella said.
Last year's London Games, seen as a resounding success despite some dire predictions, were held up as an example to follow rather than the 2004 edition in Athens, which has left behind a legacy of crumbling venues and crippling debts.
President of the Spanish Olympic committee Alejandro Blanco said the country can face the economic challenge of organising the 2020 Olympic games.
"We don't have to be afraid, we can face it. We can resolve it and we can host a wonderful Games and for that we need the help of everyone; institutions are one part, media are another part, the sports field, business fields. In these difficult times eleven companies have already invested in the Madrid candidacy," he said.
According to an initial estimate, a Madrid Olympics would cost 1.52 billion euros ($1.99 billion), plus another 150 million for services like health and security.
All three cities - Madrid bidding for a third consecutive time and Istanbul a fifth - submitted their candidature files to the IOC in Lausanne on Monday (January 07).
The bid books are the cities' official proposals to stage the Games, responding to IOC questions on finances, venues, transport and accommodation among other aspects.
Tokyo, which hosted Asia's first Olympics in 1964, is the favourite with British bookmaker William Hill to beat rivals Istanbul and Madrid, offering odds of 4/6. Istanbul are 5/2 and Madrid 3/1.
Istanbul's bid had been dealt a significant blow last year when Turkey also bid to host Euro 2020 and the IOC said the country could not host both events in the same summer.
With European soccer's governing body UEFA unveiling plans for a continent-wide Euro 2020 in December, Istanbul saw its Olympic chances restored.
The IOC will stage evaluation visits to the three cities before delivering a report to IOC members ahead of the vote on Sept. 7 at their session in Buenos Aires. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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