Moscow all set to bid for inaugural Youth Olympics in 2010

Moscow, Aug 20 (UNI) After a successful 2014 Winter Olympics bid, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is now setting its eye for the first Youth Summer Olympics in 2010, following the ROC's green signal today, to Moscow's bid for hosting the inaugural edition of the event.

The ROC today unanimously decided that Moscow would bid to host the the Youth Olympics in 2010 after President of the ROC, Leonid Tyagachev and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov signed a request letter which to be forwarded to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for registering the Russian capital's bid, the nation's news agencies reported.

The ROC's decision came after Deputy Prime Minister of the country Alexander Zhukov vowed that the government would provide all the necessary guarantees to the organisers if Moscow's bid becomes a success.

The IOC approved the decision to hold the Youth Olympics every two years at its 119th session on July 5.

Interestingly, it might turn out to be a double triumph for Russia as last month the nation's Black Sea resort of Sochi won the bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Incidentally, Moscow hosted the Summer Olympics only once in 1980, but the continental event was marred after over 60 countries boycotted the games because of the Afghanistan war.

UNI