06:00, 31 January 2009

Azerbaijan to apply for holding 2020 Summer Olympiad

Azerbaijan will file an application for holding Olympic Games of 2020 in Baku. This statement was made by Azad Ragimov, Minister for Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan.

According to Mr Ragimov, it is too early to start drafting an application for the Olympiad-2020. "This September in Copenhagen, the IOC will announce the city of 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Then, Azerbaijan will start working for 2020. As soon as the executive power of Baku makes a decision to this end, the Ministry will support it and start working," the Trend News quotes the Minister as saying.

Earlier, Azerbaijan had applied for the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, but lost in the first preliminary qualification round held last June in Athens, the Day.Az reports.

In September 2008, Minister Ragimov announced that should Baku win the right to host such grandiose event like the Olympiad, the whole shape of city will change completely, the infrastructure will get renovated, and many sports objects will be constructed.