(ATR) In a major blow to EOC president Pat Hickey, the Netherlands have withdrawn from hosting the 2019 edition due to lack of government financial support.
It could not have been worse timing for the European Olympic Committees, coming just two days before the inaugural European Games open in Baku.
The EOC said in a statement that it had received confirmation Wednesday that the Dutch government "has decided not to proceed with its interest in hosting the 2019 European Games."
Hickey, who had made the Netherlands the preferred bidder of six possible contenders in a fast-track bidding process launched last September, will be less than happy about the decision.
"This news is disappointing," he said in something of an understatement.
Thanking the Dutch, he attempted to downplay the blow 48 hours before the Baku 2015 opening ceremony and insisted the future of the Games was not in doubt.
"I have no doubt that we will be able to present a strong host for the 2019 European Games, but right now our focus remains on ensuring this inaugural edition is the best possible launch pad for Europe’s first continental Games," he said.
Hickey added: "We are confident that these inaugural European Games in Baku will be the ideal showcase for this new event and its long-term sporting, social and economic benefits."
The Dutch NOC tells Around the Rings that the financial plan for the Games had collapsed.
"The joint national, provincial and local governments told us this morning that they do not want to contribute financially to the organization of the 2019 European Games in the Netherlands," a spokesman told ATR.
"This decision left us no other choice than to withdraw as organizer of the European Games in 2019."
Having secured the Games only last month at an extraordinary EOC general assembly in Belek, the Dutch pullout throws the 2019 bidding process into some disarray.
The EOC said it will now relaunch the bidding contest to newcomers while vowing to resume its discussions with five other potential hosts who lost out to the Dutch in the initial process.
The EOC will be keen to find a host city as soon as possible with four years to go until the next edition. Prague and Lyon and an eastern European country are thought to be among the five cities who originally expressed interest.
If negotiations are successful with one of them, a new host could be selected by the end of 2015.
But it would require another extraordinary congress to rubberstamp the host.
Dutch Challenges
The ambitious Dutch bid was fraught with problems from the outset. A nationwide bidding concept was conceived to stage the 2019 Games staged in nine cities across five provinces.
The EOC general assembly approved the bid last month, despite it lacking full government support and financial guarantees.
None of the host cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, had confirmed their commitment to funding their role in the Games.
But both the EOC and Dutch NOC had expressed confidence in successful negotiations with the national government and city councils.
The Dutch sports minister had promised a decision by the end of the Baku 2015 Games, which conclude June 28.
The EOC is likely to seek a less complicated 2019 Euro Games plan this time round.
Written by MarkBisson
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