Heiberg -- Oslo 2022 "Looks Positive" to Secure Government Support

(ATR) Gerhard Heiberg tells Around the Rings the Norwegian government will soon submit its Oslo bid recommendations.

"In two or three weeks the government will probably send recommendations to parliament," Heiberg toldATRon Tuesday."Nobody knows in what direction that will be.

"In my mind, it looks positive but it’s still a big battle going on [people who are for and against nationwide]. It’s rather emotional. It’s a tough competition.

"But I am positive. I think we are going to make it."

Heiberg, a leading voice for Oslo 2022 in promoting the bid to Norway’s politicians, said the government was currently busy studying "the possibility of having the Games or not."

"This is a big national debate for the time being, and I talk to parliamentarians. This is democracy at its best," he said.

"Parliament will take its time," he added, noting that its vote on whether to back the bid or not may not come until December.

Without parliamentary support by the end of the year, the bid is dead.

Government guarantees are required as part of the 2022 bid dossiers due with the IOC in January.

Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing are the other bidders for the 2022 Winter Games. The IOC will select a host in 2017.

Support from Sports Confederations

Oslo 2022 will be buoyed by a resolution backed by 18 of the 19 Norwegian regional sports confederations.

"We fully support the work that the executive board and the secretary general of Norwegian NOC have done to promote the bid – which is in full compliance with the decision of the Norwegian NOC General Assembly in 2012 regarding the bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2022," states the resolution.

"We look forward to a positive vote for the application in the Norwegian government and in the Norwegian Parliament."

The Norwegian NOC said in a release that the resolution showed the "strong support" for the bid "and it sends a clear message to both the government and the parliament."

"We have 2.2 million memberships in our organization all over the country. The Norwegian sports organization is looking forward to welcoming the world’s best Olympic and Paralympic athletes to Oslo and Norway in 2022," said NOC secretary general Inge Andersen.

Reported by Mark Bisson.

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