(ATR) The first Youth Olympic Games will be held in 2010, and 11 cities have applied to host the event. The successful city will need to convince the IOC that it has a strong list of venues and a solid organization plan as well as a strategy to promote the values of Olympism to young participants.
The 11 cities have until Oct. 26 to prepare a candidature file. The IOC will announce a short list in December and the host in February 2008. Presented here are the applicants, in alphabetical order.
Algiers, Algeria
Country Pop: 33,333,216
City Pop: 2, 072,993
Previous sports experience:
2007 & 1978 All Africa Games
2006 World University Cross Country Championships
2005 African Basketball Championships
2004 Arab Games
Description: Algiers is on the Mediterranean coast of the largest country in northwest Africa. Algiers stepped in to host the 2007 All Africa Games when no other cities made a credible bid, however, the follow-up Afro-Asia Games had to be cancelled due to lack of interest.
Athens, Greece
Country Pop: 10,706,920
City Pop: 720,979
Previous sports experience:
2006 World Cup in Athletics
2004 Summer Olympic Games
1982 & 1969 European Athletics Championships
1896 1st Modern Olympic Games
Description: Athens, a thriving modern city with the ruins of the ancient world. The 2004 Olympics and Paralympics left the city with new roads, spectacular stadiums, and modern public transportation systems.
Bangkok, Thailand
Country Pop: 65,068,149
City Pop: 4,819,253
Previous sports experience:
2007 Summer Universiade
2007 South East Asian Games
2006 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championship
2004 World University Badminton Championships
2002 Avon Running 10 K Global Championship
Description: Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city, is one of the leading cities in Southeast Asia. Hosting of the 13th Asian Games in 1998 brought construction of a large number of new roads, which helped to relieve traffic congestion in the city.
Belgrade, Serbia
Country Pop: 10,150,265
City Pop: 1,111,825
Previous sports experience:
2006 European Water Polo Championship
2005 European Volleyball Championship
2005 Eurobasket
Description: Belgrade, Serbia's capital, founded in the third century BC is one of the oldest European cities. Although Belgrade was severely affected by the internationally imposed trade embargo in the 1990s, the city has been growing strongly since 2000. The city launched two unsuccessful bids to host the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
Debrecen, Hungary
Country Pop: 9,956,108
City Pop: 203,944
Previous sports experience:
2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
2005 European Judo Championships for Teams
2004 Women’s European Handball Championship
2002 World Gymnastics Championships
Description: Just 226 kilometers from the capital city Budapest, Debrecen is one of the most dynamically developing cities of Hungary. It has a nationwide reputation for organizing road running and other sports events.
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Country Pop: 12,728,111
City Pop: 1,024,101
Previous sports experience:
2007 North American Regional Power lifting Championships
2006 World Modern Pentathlon Championships
2000 FIFA Futsal World Championship
Description: The largest city in Central America, Guatemala City offers a combination of modern Central America and ancient Maya culture. Just after hosting its first IOC Session, Guatemala City is ready to try for more Olympic events.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Country Pop: 24,821,286
City Pop: 1,509,699
Previous sports experience:
2007 World Badminton Championships
2001 South East Asian Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
Description: Located roughly three degrees north of the equator, Malaysia’s capital maintains a tropical climate throughout the year. Home to the world’s largest buildings, the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur is a fast-paced city that is a major part of the country’s goal toward “developed country” status. The city had great success in hosting the Commonwealth Games in 1998, whose venues still are in good condition.
Moscow, Russia
Country Pop: 141,377,752 City Pop: 10,568,193
Previous sports experience:
2006 Kremlin Cup, International Tennis Tournament
2006 International Ice Hockey Championship
2005 ISU World Figure Skating Championships
Description: As a metropolitan hub of both Asia and Europe, Moscow is clearly a world capital. In the last 25 years, the city has staged over a hundred international sports events.
Poznan, Poland
Country Pop: 38,518,241
City Pop: 565,906
Previous sports experience:
2007 European Rowing Championships
2006 European Junior Fencing Championships
Description: Poznan is now the capital of the Wielkopolska province, one of the economically strongest regions in Poland. Poznan will be one of the six Polish cities to host events in the 2012 European Football Championships. The city will also host the 2009 Rowing World Championships, and has bid to host the 2011 Universiade.
Singapore, Singapore
City/Country Pop: 4,553,009
Previous sports experience:
2007 FINA World Cup of Swimming
2007 AVIVA Ironman 70.3 Triathlon
Description: The island-state of Singapore has become a completely industrialized, urbanized country since independence in 1965. Just one degree above the equator, the country experiences tropical temperatures year-round and monsoon rains December through March. The city hosted an IOC Session in 2005.
Turin, Italy
Country Pop: 58,147,733
City Pop: 872,255
Previous sports experience:
2007 Winter Universiade
2006 Winter Olympic Games
2006 World Fencing Championship
This hub of winter sports lies at the foot of the Italian Alps. Legacies from the 2006 Olympic Games have attracted events such as the 2007 Winter Universiade and numerous concerts and conventions to the Torino Olympic Park.
All photos from Getty Images.
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