Mexico, far from having other Olympics; the competition is very tough: Alcalá

▲ The head of the Mexican Olympic Committee assured that the project most in line with the country’s situation is being sought. Photo @Tokio2020

Leonardo Mena Gil

La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, January 17, 2024, p. a10

The present shows that holding the Olympic Games in Mexico is a still distant idea. There are aspects that prevent the country from celebrating one of the most lucrative and important sporting events in the world. The enormous economic cost to host them and the competition against the applicant nations put back the aspiration of organizing them for the second time in history.

The only time a summer event was held was in 1968. Since then, the Olympic movement was never contemplated returning to Mexican lands until in October 2022, the possibility of fighting the candidacy for 2036 was raised.

A little more than a year later, however, the plan seems almost impossible, at least that is what María José Alcalá, president of the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM), considers.

Because the competition is very tough, the COM intends to focus better on a contest in which they can win the venue. We are taking a turn to see if we have the proposal for a Youth Olympic Games, which is where we saw that we could have a great possibility, he assured.

India, Turkey, Poland and Mexico were the candidates that were set to compete.

After a talk with directors of the International Olympic Committee, the former diver and multiple medalist in the Central American and Pan American Games was very clear; The outlook looks complicated, so they are looking for other alternatives in which they can be considered.

Although at the moment it is not a confirmed decision, Alcalá’s words reveal that the COM took a step aside in its projection of being an applicant.

We contemplate the possibilities, but we also review what may be the most appropriate project for the country.

At the moment, the main option is the Youth Games and the intention is to bring them.

In financial costs, the expense to host the Olympic Games poses a similar investment to that of the three previous editions.

The average outlay is 14 billion dollars. In the case of Tokyo 2020, due to its postponement due to covid-19, it is considered the most expensive in history ($15.4 billion), according to a study by the University of Oxford. However, several government audits ensure that the real price is double the official figure.

In Rio de Janeiro 2016, the bill was 13 billion dollars, while London 2012 had a final value of approximately 14.5 billion.

France, for its part, seeks to reduce costs in Paris 2024 by up to a quarter of what Japan spent in the last edition. The purpose is to avoid the discontent that other populations have expressed due to the excessive spending of their governments.

With a budget of 4 billion dollars, which could go up to 8 thousand when including the costs of construction and renovation of buildings, France seeks to undertake a new philosophy in which organizing the Olympic Games does not involve going into debt.

2024-01-17 09:43:16
#Mexico #Olympics #competition #tough #Alcalá