Budapest and the Hungarian Olympic Committee yesterday have sent a letter announcing their intention to bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.
Budapest Major István Tarlós and head of Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) Zsolt Borkai in their joint letter to Lausanne cited a unanimous decision by the city council and MOB’s assemblies as well as support from the Hungarian government, and officially indicated their wish to host the 33rd Olympic and 17th Paralympic Games in Budapest in 2024. Hungary’s parliament voted on Monday to support the Hungarian capital’s bid to host the 2024 event. Political responses to parliament’s decision were mixed.
Until a few months ago, Tarlós said it was “unrealistic” to raise the idea of Budapest hosting the 2024 Olympics. In May, the mayor said he “whole-heartedly” supported Hungary’s aspirations to host the event, arguing that it would “benefit the country in all respects”. Later that month, Secretary General of MOB Bence Szabó said “several people” at the congress of the European Olympic Committee “were interested in a possible Budapest Olympics and everyone thought that the Hungarian capital would be a great host.”
