Birmingham Considers Olympic Bid

If Birmingham, England wins the European Capital of Culture title it may bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said, “we have not considered a bid for the Olympic Games since we failed in 1992. But if we win the title of European Capital of Culture, maybe we’ll consider a bid”.

Birmingham has established a reputation for hosting top sporting events. Each year the city hosts the Davis Cup tennis tournament and last month the Ryder Cup was held there. Next year the Indoor Athletics World Championship will be held at the city’s National Indoor Arena.

Earlier this year IOC member Dick Pound said London was more likely to win the Olympics than any other British city because of its brand name. But Pound added, “what they’ve done in places like Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham has been extraordinary. A lot of the infrastructure in London needs to be repaired whereas in some other cities it’s new”.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said no final decision had been made. Write or read comments about this article