Poland confirms bid to host Olympic Games for first time – but faces major rival
Poland will bid to host the Olympic Games for the first time in 2036 after president Andrzej Duda announced its intention to nominate Warsaw.
The country has never staged either the Summer or Winter Games but successfully hosted the smaller regional version, the European Games, this year.
Poland faces competition from other bidders including Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia, while India has also said it is considering bidding.
“I would like to announce, after consultations with the Polish Olympic Committee, with the Minister of Sport, and with the Government, that our ambition and intention is to start efforts to organise the Summer Olympic Games in 2036,” Duda said.
“In this matter, I will forward a letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, which will be handed to him by the President of the Polish Olympic Committee, Radosław Piesiewicz, during the meeting to be held on October 6.”
The 2036 Olympics will be the next Summer Games to be awarded, with the next three already allocated to Paris, Los Angeles and Brisbane. Milan-Cortina will host the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Poland has previously bid to stage the Winter Games, with Zakopane for 2006 and Krakow for 2022, but without success.
India has not yet submitted a bid for 2036 but sports minister Anurag Thaku said last month that it would present a proposal to Olympic chiefs at the IOC’s congress in Mumbai in October.
It would appear to have a supporter in IOC president Bach, who said this month that there was “a strong case” for staging the Games in India.
London has been mooted as a possible bidder for 2040, with UK officials believed to be keen to attract more major sporting events to the British Isles.