Budapest 2024 applauded by international press

The international press wrote about Budapest applying for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics as “the perfect alternative of the megalopolises” on Wednesday.  The conceptions were introduced via presentations and films at the general meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees on Tuesday in Doha, reports Index.

Sportfeatures.com, which deals with sport news around the world, refers to Balázs Fürjes, leader of the tender in Budapest, who says that Agenda 2020 reform program, accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2014, provided chances for medium sized cities to apply for the organising of the games, which creates new possibilities for the Olympic movement to strengthen the reforms accepted by IOC.

The site also quoted Attila Mizsér, sports director of Budapest 2024:

“Budapest Olympics would be a new and special experience for everyone, where the whole city would be a large Olympic park with exceptionally short travelling times making an amazing festival experience possible.”

The French Olympic portal called francsjeux.com in its article about the Hungarian presentation highlighted the slogan:

“Right sized city at the right time.”

The author touched upon on how the presenters of the tender “talked with conviction, and supported it with non-ostentatious pictures, which showed a youthful and lively city.” In the report it became emphasized how Budapest’s project is in harmony with Agenda 2020; the success of the Hungarian capital’s application would give hope to similar, medium sized, emerging cities. Francsjeux.com mentioned that Budapest is usually shown as the underdog next to Los Angeles and Paris but

“the Hungarian tender is special because of its ‘otherness’.”

The author of the article added that Budapest’s message and vision is clear, and quoted a representative of a African olympic committee, who claimed that Budapest stands out of their rivals with its completely alternative, but very interesting vision.

Aroundtherings.com, dealing with the news of the Olympic movement, described the Budapest tender as strong and characteristic. The article examined the “convincing reasons” for the Hungarian capital highlighted by the presenters, too. Among them was the “low financial risk” justified by already existing facilities that only need three buildings to be added, the competition locations which can be reached within a short time: averagely in 12 minutes, “the vibrant and festival-mood” of the city, the safe environment and the imposing locations.

The site further mentioned: “in these days, when the heritage of the Olympics is especially important for IOC, Budapest can offer plenty of possibilities for the city and for the nation to preserve and utilize the legacy of the games.”

The article ends by stating that a new alternative appeared in the field of organising the Olympics after London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, “and this alternative is Budapest”.

Insidethegames.biz, which deals with Olympic sports, started its report by saying that this presentation hwas important for Budapest, because it is the least known out of the three candidate cities. The site also mentioned the slogan of “right sized city at the right time” raising awareness of the fact that the Hungarian capital wants to offer a real alternative to organising the games in megalopolises.

The 12 minutes travelling-time between the competition locations offered by the Budapest project is mentioned, because the author thinks that it can be an uncommonly convincing reason for IOC, as they experienced the discomfort of long travelling during the summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, frequently.

First, Los Angeles, then, after Budapest, London could introduce the application at the general meeting in Doha. The presentations were of key importance here, as the three candidates will only have three possibilities left to show their visions in a detailed presentation; at the visit of the IOC’s Evaluation Committee in the next May, at the technical presentation in Lausanne in the next July, and at the IOC Session in the next September.

Photos: Brick Visual

Copy editor: bm

Source: Index