Budapest mayor says “unrealistic” to raise issue of 2024 Olympics

(MTI) – It is unrealistic now to raise the idea of Budapest hosting the 2024 Olympics, Istvan Tarlos, the city’s mayor, said on Friday.

Related article:
HOC backs Budapest’s bid for hosting 2024 Olympics

Despite being a sports fan and understanding that the Olympics would have great significance for sport and tourism in the city, he said he had been surprised about the proposal.

The opposition mayoral candidate, Ferenc Falus, on Thursday asked Tarlos in an open letter whether he thought it was realistic and necessary for Budapest to apply to become the host of the 2024 Olympics.

Tarlos said that bringing up the issue ten years ahead of the event and when the selection of the Olympics’ host city would only be made in years from now “reveals a great deal about the left-wing mayoral candidate’s understanding of the city’s problems”.

Earlier, the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) said it wholeheartedly supported the idea of the city of Budapest submitting a bid to host the Olympic Summer Games in 2024, MOB leader Zsolt Borkai said on Thursday.

“We have still much to do, and lots of major and minor details to be clarified before submitting the bid, but the intention is clear: Budapest would like to host the world’s top athletes in 2024,” he said.

Honorary MOB President Pal Schmitt said last Friday that the Hungarian capital would be ready to host the Olympics in 2024.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters