The city has adopted an initiative to position itself as a leading city on an international level, in order to obtain international recognition and prestige. Thus, city’s mayor created the Madrid International Strategy and Action Office, called „Madrid Global” in June 2007. And what would be a better possibility to get international reputation then hosting the Olympic Games?
As Ramiro Lahera, marketing director of the candidature of Spain for the 2016 Olympic Games says: „There is no such global industry as sport; sport reflects everything, every aspects of life”.
And now Madrid is just an arm distance from wining the “race”, as it is the second candidate in the leading bunch, shortly after Tokyo, according to the Olympic bidding race. Or let’s say from a hand’s distance, a “legacy hand’s” distance , which is the symbol of the city for the candidature, where the five fingers of an open hand represent the five possible sectors of development – social, cultural, environmental, economical, and naturally the sport sector –, in case if Madrid is going to be the winner…And even before that. According to Mr Lagera, there is a direct connection between development and willingness to host the Games. And willingness and motivation is certainly not missing from the Spanish part:
„I believe that after the popularization of the Chinese and the Anglo-Saxon culture who already had the chance to be an organiser; it is time for a Spanish-culture country to host the Olympic Games”.
Posted in 2008-04: First Asia-Europe Young Urban Leaders Dialogue | 16.11.2008
By: Dora Haller
