In Lausanne on Thursday Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and President of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Julio C. Maglione signed the agreement on Budapest hosting the 2017 World Aquatics Championships. The Prime Minister said that national unity behind the event is the true guarantee of success.
Mr. Orbán told members of the press that this will be the largest sports event that the country has ever organised, and that in terms of visitor numbers it may even turn out to be the largest event ever hosted by Hungary.
Consequently, the cause of the world championships transcends the realm of sports; this is why, regardless of “whether or not one is an ardent swimmer, whether or not one likes athletes and sports, and whether or not one supports the Government in the committed sports policy that we are pursuing”, the whole country is behind the event, the Prime Minister stated. He added that the world championships will be a performance test to determine “whether we are capable of something which no one else, other than ourselves, has dared to undertake”.
Mr. Orbán stressed that the Hungarians are a proud nation and are only too happy to prove their worth to the world. The Prime Minister thanked the City of Budapest and every Member of Parliament for their support. He added that he sincerely hopes that in 2017 Hungary can hand over the flag of the world championships to the subsequent host country with a clear conscience and pride in having organised a successful world sporting event.
After the signing of the agreement, the Prime Minister was due to meet President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach in the Olympic Museum. In this context, he said that in the last four to five years, metropolises of 15-20 million have lost the sole and exclusive privilege of being considered eligible for hosting the Olympic Games. With the aid of the Agenda 2020 reform package, the International Olympic Committee is also making it possible for cities like Budapest to host the games. Preparations are in progress and, if necessary, the Government itself will back the cause of the Olympic Games; however, this is primarily the cause of the sporting community, the Prime Minister explained.
FINA President Maglione expressed his gratitude to Mr. Orbán and Tamás Gyárfás (President of the Hungarian Swimming Association, President of the Local Organising Committee and Vice-President of FINA) for having offered a rapid solution in a difficult situation a few months ago, when the Mexican city which had originally agreed to host the world championships withdrew from the event’s organisation. Hungary has agreed to host the championships at two years’ notice, while host countries normally have four years to prepare for the event, he reiterated.
Mr. Gyárfás pointed out that there are 802 days left until the world championships; “There is plenty of time, and we shall take care of everything”, he said. The hope is that Mr. Maglione will announce on the last day of the championships that this was the best FINA event of all time, he said. He added that in his view a successful world championships event may give significant impetus to a possible Olympic bid by Budapest.
Lajos Kósa, the other president of the local organising committee, said that the last world championships had a potential worldwide audience of more than 4.2 billion, and there has never been an event in the history of Hungary and Budapest that could have attracted such attention. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Budapest to so many people, he pointed out. He also reiterated that the organising committee is responsible for the event and is accountable to FINA. As the committee is not a legal entity, the State will set up a non-profit company, which will undertake the relevant commitments and will conclude the necessary contracts as a legal entity.
Mayor of Budapest István Tarlós said that there is close cooperation with the Government regarding the world championships, and this is very much required. Hosting the world championships will be a good opportunity for the city, because the event could be a good advertisement for Budapest, he stated. In his words, the organisation of the event is “feasible, and we shall make every effort to remove all obstacles from the path of success”. The Mayor of Budapest said that the staging of the Olympic Games would be a unique experience in the life of every Hungarian, and the successful hosting of the 2017 world championships may represent a major step towards the accomplishment of this desire.
The Prime Minister had talks with Mr. Maglione before signing the agreement.
After the Mexican city of Guadalajara withdrew from the event’s organisation, Hungary agreed to host the world championships four years earlier than 2021, which was the year it was originally scheduled to do so. Mr. Gyárfás said earlier that the event’s budget totals USD 85 million, the equivalent of some HUF 23 billion; these funds are for completion by 31 March 2017 of an 18,000-seat aquatic sports complex on the site of the Dagály bathing and swimming centre. This year’s aquatics world championships will be hosted by Kazan, Russia, while the 2019 event will be held in Gwangju, South Korea. New bids will be invited for the 2021 world championships, the organisation of which had previously been awarded to Budapest.