Budapest 2024

[Sir Rols]

I'm surprised considering the number of people here who pick over Insidethegames that this hasn't been posted here yet:

Budapest considering bid for 2024 Olympics and Paralympics

Hungarian capital Budapest has become the latest city to signal that it is considering a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, as the number of possible contenders increases with a year to go until the process officially opens.

There have been various indication that the city is planning to bid amid claims that a campaign for 2024 would be a forerunner to a more serious attempt at 2028.

Zsigmond Nagy, director of international relations at the Hungarian Olympic Committee, did not confirm that they would bid but did list several reasons as why they may do so.

"Since May 2010 numerous multi-sport venues, sport fields, swimming pools, football stadiums, indoor and outdoor school sport venues and fields in Hungary have been built and are now being built as well," he told insidethegames.

"Also, major international events, including continental and world sporting ones, have been hosted and shall be hosted in our country, and for instance, as of today the Junior World Championships in Open Water Swimming has just been opened by FINA in the Lake Balaton.

"Last year Budapest in cooperation with our National Federations hosted World Championships in Fencing and Wrestling as well, and our capital city is preparing for the FINA World Championships in 2021.

"Budapest shall receive a state-of-art stadium and modern multi-sport venues in the heart of the city replacing outdated and run down venues and, in addition, the city of Gyor shall host in 2017 the European Youth Olympic Festival for which brand new facilities are now being built for the joy and prosperity of the local people.

"The Olympic Movement of Hungary enjoys a very strong recognition and solid reputation among the public supporting and endorsing to organise major international sport events in the country.

"The National Olympic Committee has been restructured and has incorporated all divisions of sport such as Olympic, non-Olympic, sport for all, disabled and school sports in order to be ready for the new challenges and be able to fulfil tasks originated from this new position.

"In line with the above and based on our historical desire of 119 years to be able to welcome the Olympic Family in our country and host the Olympic Games in Hungary, the bid for 2024 does not seem to be distant."

The interest, either implied or officially expressed, from at over 10 cities for the 2024 edition is a major boost for the Olympic Movement following the problems it has experienced with the bid race for the Winter Olympics.

While a United States city - either Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington DC - is widely seen as the early favourite, both Berlin and Hamburg have begun a process to be selected as a German candidate, while Paris, Rome and Istanbul are other cities reportedly interested.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to name the host city at its Session in 2017.

This rumoured interest from Budapest, which has bid unsuccessfully for five previous editions of the Games, most recently for 1960 version, which awarded to Rome, adds potentially another dimension to the fledgling race.

"The Government of Hungary under the successful leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared sport as a strategy sector of Hungary for the benefit and welfare of the citizens of Hungary," said Nagy.

This follows the approach adopted by many other countries, ranging from Turkmenistan to Qatar, of using sport as a way to raise the profile of their nation, as well as to create a sense of unity among the population.

Insidethegames

It would be nice to see - always had a soft spot for the notion of Hungary hosting.

[binary]

that budapest news is actually pretty old. Unfortunately, for them I don't like their odds against a paris or LA.

[StefanMUC]

It's just another propaganda tool for Orban - "since May 2010 venues have been built", in other words since he came to power.

And likening Hungary to Qatar and Turkmenustan speaks volumes.

Budapest is a no-hoper at this stage, unless the IOC wants more autocratic Games.

[binary]

It's just another propaganda tool for Orban - "since May 2010 venues have been built", in other words since he came to power.

And likening Hungary to Qatar and Turkmenustan speaks volumes.

Budapest is a no-hoper at this stage, unless the IOC wants more autocratic Games.

Hungary is definitely not an autocracy, it's an electoral democracy.

[StefanMUC]

Hungary is definitely not an autocracy, it's an electoral democracy.

So is Russia, on paper.

[Lord David]

Budapest would simply be compared to the likes of Prague's 2016 bid. There's some good venues already there (heck, even a main stadium) but is sporting history and what's on ground enough? Can they do mega projects by 2024? It would probably end up the same way Prague's bid ended up as.

[binary]

So is Russia, on paper.

What evidence do you exactly have against Hungary?

As for the RU HUN comparison. Freedom House ranks political and civil liberties of hungary at 1-2 respectively (considered free). As for russia, it's a 6-5 respectively (not free)

[StefanMUC]

What evidence do you exactly have against Hungary?

As for the RU HUN comparison. Freedom House ranks political and civil liberties of hungary at 1-2 respectively (considered free). As for russia, it's a 6-5 respectively (not free)

Orban has a 2/3 majority in parliament which he has used to make drastic constitutional changes, streamline state-owned media and pressuring private ones, agitating against minorities etc etc

Do some googling, you won't have to dig deep.

And I don't know Freedom House, their criteria nor when they reported this.

[FYI]

Lmfao, Stefan. Let's burst the bubble on this one right from the get-go.

[TorchbearerSydney]

Budapest was an imperial capital (along with Vienna) and is a magnificent city. I think it would host an amazing games, and be more interesting than another Paris/ Berlin/ Rome/ Spain etc.... and is the highest ranked Summer Olympic Medallist no to host.

United States (USA) 26 976 758 666 2400 2 Soviet Union (URS) 9 395 319 296 1010 3 Great Britain (GBR) 27 236 272 272 780 4 France (FRA) 27 202 223 246 671 5 China (CHN) 9 201 144 128 473 6 Italy (ITA) 26 198 166 185 549 7 Germany (GER) 15 174 182 217 573 8 Hungary (HUN) 25 167 144 165 476 9 East Germany (GDR) 5 153 129 127 409 10 Sweden (SWE) 26 143 164 176 483 11 Australia

[StefanMUC]

Budapest was an imperial capital (along with Vienna) and is a magnificent city. I think it would host an amazing games, and be more interesting than another Paris/ Berlin/ Rome/ Spain etc.... and is the highest ranked Summer Olympic Medallist no to host.

United States (USA) 26 976 758 666 2400 2 Soviet Union (URS) 9 395 319 296 1010 3 Great Britain (GBR) 27 236 272 272 780 4 France (FRA) 27 202 223 246 671 5 China (CHN) 9 201 144 128 473 6 Italy (ITA) 26 198 166 185 549 7 Germany (GER) 15 174 182 217 573 8 Hungary (HUN) 25 167 144 165 476 9 East Germany (GDR) 5 153 129 127 409 10 Sweden (SWE) 26 143 164 176 483 11 Australia

All of that is true but still doesn't change the very likely scenario Orban would use Olympics (or even bidding for them) basically to glorify (Greater) Hungary, Fidesz and, most importantly, himself.

[TorchbearerSydney]

All of that is true but still doesn't change the very likely scenario Orban would use Olympics (or even bidding for them) basically to glorify (Greater) Hungary, Fidesz and, most importantly, himself.

No doubt, but since when has that type of thing concerned the IOC? In fact they tend to relish self- aggrandisement!

[mr.bernham]

Budapest would simply be compared to the likes of Prague's 2016 bid. There's some good venues already there (heck, even a main stadium) but is sporting history and what's on ground enough? Can they do mega projects by 2024? It would probably end up the same way Prague's bid ended up as.

Prague was meant to be a 'warm up' bid. In fact, organizers said so on many occasions.

[baron-pierreIV]

Idi Amin? Erdogan? Putin? Orban? Anything in common? All dictators with a name ending in "n" -- like SataN!! Budapest not happening!!

[Lord David]

Budapest wasn't happening anyways. It is much like Prague 2016, only difference being that they have a potential main stadium (which they probably would want to replace anyways).

[StefanMUC]

Prague was meant to be a 'warm up' bid. In fact, organizers said so on many occasions.

If you read the original article, you'll see the warm up scenario also mentioned implicitly.

[Lord David]

Prague was meant to be a 'warm up' bid. In fact, organizers said so on many occasions.

And what happened to Prague?

If you read the original article, you'll see the warm up scenario also mentioned implicitly.

The same fate will happen to Budapest. When they get either a weak score in the 5-6 range or just barely scrape through due to few bidders (and ultimately come last in the vote), they might not be wanting to try again and spend millions in bid money.

[baron-pierreIV]

Budapest is good for a World Games or a Special Olympics Games. But I think a SOG has passed them by.

[mr.bernham]

And what happened to Prague?

The same fate will happen to Budapest. When they get either a weak score in the 5-6 range or just barely scrape through due to few bidders (and ultimately come last in the vote), they might not be wanting to try again and spend millions in bid money.

Is that still not a warm up bid? They are told directly by the IOC where they can improve.

[Lord David]

But with the case of Prague, they didn't follow up with an improved bid like they planned.

[Sir Rols]

Well, that's done and dusted:

Budapest Mayor rules potential bid for 2024 Olympics "not viable" and "unrealistic"

Budapest's potential bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games has hit a brick wall after the Hungarian capital's Mayor, Istvan Tarlós, dismissed it as "unrealistic".

Earlier this month, Zsigmond Nagy, director of international relations at the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC), spoke optimistically toinsidethegames about why a bid would be both beneficial and successful.

A more concrete endorsement was then provided by HOC President Zsolt Borkai, who claimed its intentions to host the Games were "unequivocal", that they "would like to host the best athletes in the world in Budapest.", and that "concrete steps" would be taken soon.

Although doubts were expressed by some, this proposal was met with approval from various figures in the European nation.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Pál Schmitt, the two-time Olympic champion fencer who served as President of Hungary from 2010 until 2012, has also claimed the Hungarian capital would be ready to host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2024.

It was thought a bid could be launched partly to hone preparations for a more serious attempt for the 2028 edition.

But, in a markedly less optimistic vein, Tarlós said such an attempt was not viable, and that although hosting the world's biggest sporting event would have a considerable impact on tourism and sport in the city, now was not an appropriate time to launch a bid.

Like in many other countries that are members of the European Union, Hungary has battled an ailing economy in recent years, and it is presumably this climate which has led Tarlós to conclude that bidding for an Olympics is unfeasible.

But there is also a political dimension, with Tarlós running again for Mayor in Hungarian local elections on October 12.

His main contender, centre-left candidate Ferenc Falus, publicly asked Tarlós whether he thought hosting the Olympic Games was a realistic idea, so it is possible he spoke as he did to avoid the issue negatively affecting the late stages of his campaign.

Whatever reasoning, the news is a further indication of the apathy from European cities about bidding for Summer or Winter Olympic Games in the current economic climate, an issue which is currently generating great concern across the Olympic Movement. .

As it stands, Berlin and Hamburg have indicated their intention to bid, with the German Olympic Sports Confederation currently considering which, if either, of the two to put forward.

Paris, Rome and Istanbul are other potential contenders with a United States bid - from either Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC - also likely.

The IOC is due to name the host city at its Session in 2017.

Insidethegames

[mr.bernham]

Well I guess thats that.

[FYI]

Doesn't surprise me too much. I think Budapest's best time to host was in the first half of the 20th century. Now it seems that the Summer Games have become too much for a country of ten million, as we saw with Athens 2004. The only cities in Eastern Europe that are clear viable possibilities would be Moscow & St. Petersburg, & maybe Warsaw. But even there, that could be a stretch.

[Tony E Loves Architecture]

Doesn't surprise me too much. I think Budapest's best time to host was in the first half of the 20th century. Now it seems that the Summer Games have become too much for a country of ten million, as we saw with Athens 2004. The only cities in Eastern Europe that are clear viable possibilities would be Moscow & St. Petersburg, & maybe Warsaw. But even there, that could be a stretch.

Warsaw, are You serious? Realistically, Poland's only chances of Hosting are with the Winter Olympics and Paralympics with Krakow IMO.

I think Budapest could Host one day. They are investing in Venues, with a Brand New Puskas Ferenc Stadium in discussion, that could be used as the Olympic Stadium. They could install a Temporary Running Track in there aswell. They might have to invest alot into other Venues, but so did Rio De Janeiro and so did Sochi and PyeongChang for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

[StefanMUC]

Warsaw is roughly the same size as Budapest, Poland however is 4 times the size as Hungary in terms of population and has a stronger economy these days.

If you say Budapest needs to invest in new venues, how is that an advantage over Warsaw? Sure Budapest is probably prettier, but that's about it.

You're just blabbering on again.