Amsterdam - The Dutch cabinet is due to decide on Friday
whether to support the Dutch national Olympic Association's bid to
host the 2028 Olympic Games.
The Dutch Olympic Association NOC-NSF has long been campaigning
for Dutch candidacy to organize these Games.
The decision, which would require annual government investment for
its candidacy campaign, is considered sensitive in the Netherlands.
A previous Dutch bid in 1984 to host the 1992 Olympic Games
failed dramatically due to bad coordination, poor planning and
insufficient funding for its candidacy campaign.
A spokesperson of NOC-NSF told the German Press Agency dpa on
Wednesday the organization 'does not have a clue' what the cabinet is
due to decide on Friday.
But Dutch media reported it was 'likely' the government would
support the Dutch bid to host the 2028 Olympic Games, as it marks
the centennial anniversary of the last time the Dutch organized the
Games which then took place in Amsterdam.
Meanwhile local Dutch politicians were already at odds over the
question whether the games should take place in Rotterdam or The
Hague in 2028.
On Tuesday, a Rotterdam alderman suggested in daily news paper De
Telegraaf The Hague with its broad beaches would be a better option
than his own city.
His remarks causing fury with the chairman of Hoek van Holland -
part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area - who claimed his town boasts
even bigger beaches than The Hague which would be ideal for beach
sports.
Dutch crown prince Willem-Alexander is one of the 105 members of
the International Olympic Committee, along with two other Dutch
nationals.
From 1994 to February 2009, the future Dutch king served as
guardian of the Dutch Olympic association NOC-NSF.
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