Full Government Support For Madrid 2016

Prime Minister Zapatero Guarantees Full Government Support For Madrid 2016 Olympic Bid

Madrid, 5 March 2009 - The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has given assurances today he has no doubt that the collaboration of every institution in Spain gives “well-founded reasons” to hope for success in Madrid’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

During the presentation of funding plans for London 2012, Zapatero reminded that only seven months remain until the IOC decides who will be the host city for the 2016 Olympics and has guaranteed the government’s full support for the capital in bidding to be the Olympic venue.

“We did it very well in Barcelona and we are doing it very well in and with Madrid,” said the head of the Spanish executive during the signing of the agreement, which took place at the Higher Sports Council. Present at the presentation were Mercedes Cabrera, Minister for Education, Social Policy and Sport, Jaime Lissavetzky, Secretary of State for Sport, and Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish NOC.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero praised the “ethical dimension” of sport, based on fair play, and underlined the Olympic values of dialogue and mutual understanding.

Through the medals won in Beijing and Spanish victories in football, cycling and tennis, the Prime Minister stressed sportspeople were “improving the image of Spain and defending it in the international sphere”.

Zapatero remained convinced that “this magnificent present is the prelude to an even more promising future” and agreed that the corporate sponsors maintaining their support for Spanish sport will reap benefits through London 2012.

Since 1988 when the ADO programme started with the Barcelona Games, Spain has become increasingly recognised as “amongst the strongest forces in world sport”, Zapatero said. The ceremony, which included athletes and Madrid 2016 envoys such as Gemma Mengual, Saúl Craviotto, Carlos Pérez, Joan Llaneras and Gervasio Deferr among others, Zapatero indicated that sportspeople were “splendid ambassadors for the real Spain of today” and projected the best image to Spanish people of themselves.

“Sport is one of the main pillars of civic life,” declared the Prime Minister, who also insisted on the current importance of equality and reinforcing “the common feeling of citizenship”.

The Madrid 2016 Olympic candidacy is working with the same values. Its delegation recently presented their dossier to the IOC in Lausanne illustrating a project centred around the physical and social regeneration of the capital city which, as the ‘Games with the Human Touch’, would bring the values of sport to everyone.

ENDS

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