Budapest named European Capital of Sport for 2019

Budapest’s earning of the title of European Capital of Sport for 2019 is a “fantastic honour” for the capital and for Hungarian sport, the state secretary for sports said at a conference on Tuesday.

“We can be proud of this title, our athletes, our experts and Budapest, because it is a clear recognition of the fact that [Budapest] can be a worthy host to major sporting events and that Hungary plays a key role in the development of young athletes on the international sports stage,” Tünde Szabó said.

Szabo noted that whereas in 2006 and 2010, Hungary hosted just six and 34 global events supported by the government, respectively, last year it hosted 113.

Organising this many events requires the proper sports infrastructure, quality tourism services and a strong economy, she said.

“I am happy to say that by now, our country and capital meets all those conditions,” Szabó said, adding that earning the title of European Capital of Sport “fits perfectly with the government’s sports policy goals”.

The Budapest metropolitan council approved the capital’s bid for the title in 2015, deputy mayor Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted.

Featured image: www.fina-budapest2017.com

Source: MTI