(ATR) Italian sport and government officials have proposed Milan as the host city for the 2019 IOC Session.
Italian National Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago confirmed Italy’s submission of the candidacy dossier for the 132nd Session to the IOC, while addressing media in Milan on Wednesday.
"The idea of Milan 2019 stemmed from the intention to react, as sportsmen," Malago said. "It is a very important project, of great prestige for the whole city and for our nation."
Accompanying the CONI president was Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and president of the Lombardia Region Roberto Maroni.
"CONI is totally committed, together with the Municipality of Milan and the Region Lombardia, because we must win," Malago said.
"We still don’t know against who, because the deadline for presenting the candidacy is tonight. Some credible rumors suggest that when Milan was put forth, many backed out. We shall see, we presented a single dossier, we brought out the best silver of the house."
Italy’s second largest city, Milan has never hosted an IOC session.
The IOC Session and related meetings are scheduled to take place in September 2019. Host cities for the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2025 Winter Youth Olympics will be selected at the 2019 session, meaning that Italy will not be permitted to put forth a bid for either of those Games.
The proposed venue for the session is the spacious MiCo Milano Convention Center, which ranks among the largest conference centers in Europe and the world. Designed by architect Mario Bellini, the iconic and sleek looking building is capable of accommodating up to 18,000 people.
The Milan bid aims to revitalize Italy’s involvement in Olympic circles following the withdrawal of Rome as a candidate to host the 2024 Summer Games. Lacking the necessary backing of Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi and the city council, the Italian NOC formally declared the end of the candidature on Oct. 11.
"Our reputation is not just intact, but paradoxically it was strengthened by the outcome of the Rome Olympic candidacy," Malago said. "That is a wound that will never heal, it is a match that we unfortunately never played, but today we are happy to take part in this new challenge to prove who we are and what we want with different players, of whom am very proud."
Milan was home to Expo 2015 between May 1 and Oct. 31. It marked the second time that Milan hosted the international exposition, the first being in 1906.
The northern Italian city was also a primary venue for the 1990 FIFA World Cup as it hosted the best-attended match of the tournament as 74,765 spectators watched West Germany defeat Yugoslavia at San Siro Stadium.
An IOC Evaluation Commission is scheduled to make an inspection visit to Milan in May, while the host city for the 2019 Session will be determined at the next IOC Session in September in Lima, Peru.
Written by Brian Pinelli
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