Budapest 2024 Chairman Recaps at One Year to Go; Budapest Announces New Urban Games Initiative

Today, exactly one year remains until a new Host City is chosen to stage the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Balazs Furjes, Chairman of the Budapest 2024 Bid looks back at the life of the Bid with pride. "We began this journey in 2007, when we first got the vote of approval from the General Assembly, and it’s hard to believe nine years have gone by.

Since then we have built a strong proposal that gets stronger with every refinement. Our natural strength resides in a compact plan that fits Agenda 2020 closely, and our single Olympic park concept is quite unique. Sound partnerships, such as the one we enjoy with the City of Budapest, are the backbone of the Budapest Bid. Concerning partnerships, we are also preparing for International Federation visits which start very soon.

Our teams are keen to work on site with the federations, so that we can really start to hone in on the details and create the best possible environments for athletes.

"With one year left to go, there is a still a huge amount of work and a lot to look forward to. For example, we host the ‘big three’ in July and August next year (the European Youth Olympic Festival, World Judo Championships and Aquatics World Championships). People ask me what our biggest challenge is, and the answer is simple: explaining the magic of Budapest to someone who has never been there."

Also announced today, the city of Budapest, along with main sponsor Budapest 2024, is launching a brand new urban sport initiative: the Budapest Urban Games.

On 1st October, four popular youth sports will be played out against the city’s famous UNESCO heritage background.

Cycling will take place from the Freedom Statue, Budapest’s symbol of independence and one of the elements of the Budapest 2024 logo.

Table tennis and football four-a-side will be held at the iconic 19th century Klauzál Square Market. Table tennis is expected to be particularly popular in the run up to the ITTF European Table Tennis Championships taking part in Budapest next month.

"We are starting with four sports that inspire real grassroots excitement in the city," said Deputy Mayor of Budapest, Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky. "We hope to expand the event next year and we’re especially keen to include skateboarding – it’s the archetypal urban sport and Budapest has an excellent skateboarding environment. We’d also like to build some international competition within the framework of the event."

A mix of amateurs and professionals are expected at the inaugural event, with an open-to-all approach. Several Olympic and World Champion athletes popular with young Hungarians will be supporting each sport.

The Urban Games are aimed primarily at young people, although anyone can enter, and the date was specifically chosen to ensure students and schoolchildren could take part. In fact, young people from around the capital were invited by the City of Budapest to help organisers with creative thinking and planning for the event.

Fürjes commented about the proximity of the event to tomorrow’s milestone to the Lima vote on the 2024 Olympic Host City.

"It’s true that the Budapest Urban Games has been inspired by our bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. But we prefer to think of this event as one of many initiatives that will be a legacy of our bid, whatever the outcome of the vote, rather than being linked to any milestone in particular".

"There’s a huge amount of work goes into an Olympic Bid and it’s very structured, very organised. But sometimes we need to take a look around and remember why it is we do what we do. Who really benefits? And that’s exactly what the Urban Games is all about."

For more information, please contact:

Ivan Rozsa

Director of International Communications

Tel: +36 30 538 3863

Email: ivan.rozsa@budapest2024.org

www.budapest2024.org

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