Rome will return to the Olympic Games bidding fray for the 2024 event after the city’s Mayor, Gianni Alemanno, admitted that it had made the wrong decision in withdrawing its tilt at the 2020 Games.
The battle to host the 2020 Olympic Games was reduced to five combatants in February as Rome was forced to drop its bid after having failed to secure the support of the Italian government. The news had been widely expected as Italy continues to grapple with the effects of the European economic crisis. Prime Minister Mario Monti announced that it would be irresponsible for the government to provide the financial guarantees necessary for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider the bid.
Rome’s Olympic project came with an estimated price tag of US$12.5 billion and taxpayer money would have been utilised to cover any deficit. However, the decision had serious ramifications as Mario Pescante resigned from his role as IOC vice-president after admitting he was “embarrassed” by Rome’s early exit from the 2020 Games race. Pescante, one of the most influential figures in Italian sports business, said that Monti’s late snub of the bid made his position untenable.
Alemanno said Rome would pursue a bid for the 2024 Olympics as he addressed the opening session of the European Olympic Committees general assembly in the Italian capital on Friday. “This is a city with an Olympic tradition,” he said, referring to Rome’s staging of the 1960 Games. “We presented our candidature for 2020 but due to political reasons, wrongly in my opinion, decided to withdraw. We will persevere and try again in 2024 as we are a very proud city and believe in this event.”
By Matt Cutler
Source: www.sportbusinees.com