Nov 30, 2006, 18:29 GMT
Stockholm - Despite lack of government funding, Sweden will Friday formally bid to host the World Ahletics Championships in 2011 or 2013, the Swedish Athletics Association said Thursday.
Sweden hosted the event in 1995 and was also host to the 2006 European championships.Both events were staged in the west coast city Gothenburg, also slated to be the venue for the new bid.
Yngve Andersson, president of the Swedish Athletics Association, cited the 'unique atmosphere' during the European championships in Gothenburg and said the association hoped the government would be willing to reconsider its recent decision not to back the bid, pending a major review of funding for major sports events.
Several of Sweden's top athletics stars including sprinter Susanna Kallur, triple-jumper Christian Olsson, high jumper Stefan Holm and heptathalon star Carolina Kluft published an open letter earlier this week urging Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to change the government's stance.
'If Sweden is going to remain to be a successful sports nation we have to be prepared to host events at home on a regular basis,' they said, adding that a big event would inspire young athletes and others.
The 2007 world championships were to be staged in Osaka, Japan and Berlin was to host the 2009 world championships.
A decision on the coming world championships was due next March at a meeting of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
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