Bucharest mayor Oprescu wants Romania to host 2020 Olympic Games

Bucharest hosting the 2020 Olympic Games in Bucharest would attract many investors and the move is backed by citizens, said the general mayor of Romania’s capital Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu. He said 93 percent of 3,200 Romanians polled over the phone said the initiative would be beneficial for the city. "In Bucharest, 85 percent of citizens back the initiative. The poll was conducted over the phone and grilled 3,700 people in Bucharest and 3,200 across the country," Oprescu said on Realitatea TV.

According to the mayor, organizing the 2020 Olympics in Bucharest would be great in terms of economic and image benefits for the country.

"I've already started making lists of athletes with great results in previous Olympics who live abroad," Oprescu said, adding he is not considering raising local taxes and he has instead started looking to enhance lobbying efforts.

The next Olympic Games will be hosted by London in 2012, by Sochi/Russia in 2014, Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The bidding phase for choosing the Olympic Games hosts starts nine years prior to the actual event. The operational planning for the event starts five and a half years before the event, while the Operational Readiness Planning starts three and a half years before the games.

Mediafax