(ATR) Istanbul should bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics says one of the leaders of the city’s try for 2020. The Turkish capital went to the final round of voting by the IOC but were out polled by Tokyo.
In an interview with the Andalou News Agency, Hasan Arat says Istanbul should be ready to bid for 2032.
"I believe Turkey shouldn't give up its ambition for the Olympics," Arat is quoted by the news agency.
Arat was the chair of the 2020 bid, one of its most visible figures. He is a vice president of the Turkish National Olympic Committee and a member of the executive board of World Athletics as well as the European Olympic Committees.
"Istanbul is ready to be a candidate. Turkey should retain its dreams; 2032 is not late, as time passes quickly. Turkey has excellent sports facilities," Arat said,
He points to a list of completed infrastructure projects promised in the 2020 bid. Arat says new roadways, commuter rail and airport are important additions to the Istanbul infrastructure.
Arat says the city has hosted a number of high-profile football finals and is scheduled to handle the 2020 UEFA Champions League final at Atatürk Olympic Stadium. The stadium was nearing completion when Istanbul lost to Tokyo at the IOC session in Moscow.
Istanbul has bid for the Games five times, beginning with 2004.
The IOC has indicated that it is in no hurry to select a 2032 host city. The disruption of the coronavirus and subsequent postponement of the Tokyo Olympics by one year have given the IOC plenty to handle without Olympic bids. Besides, the host for 2030 Winter Games is next on the agenda to be selected.
Permanent commissions have been established at the IOC to continually review possible candidates for future Games. The summer commission is headed by IOC member in Norway Kristin Kloster Aasen. So far, a bid from Queensland, Australia appears to be the most advanced in planning for 2032. But two weeks ago organizers of the bid declared that their plans were on hold while Australia and the rest of the world confronts the pandemic. Other bids could come from India and Indonesia.
Reported by Ed Hula.
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