Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Nenad Lalovic, President of United World Wrestling had a meeting on Friday afternoon in the Parliament Building where they discussed the World Wrestling Championships currently under way in Budapest, the new-generation World Urban Games and other world-level sports events planned to be held in the Hungarian capital, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief informed the press.
At the meeting which was also attended by Balázs Fürjes, government commissioner for priority Budapest developments and international sports bids and Szilárd Németh, President of the Hungarian Wrestling Federation, the parties highlighted that the Hungarian capital is hosting the world wrestling championships for the seventh time. In this context, the President of United World Wrestling repeated that the largest wrestling event of all time is taking place in Budapest which elevates the prestige of both Hungary and the sport. Mr Orbán pointed out that Budapest is a global sports capital, it has all the features and capabilities to claim that title: its geographical location, its beauty, its economic development, the hospitability of the people living here, its vivid cultural life, its strong services sector, but above all the safety of the city. He added that the development of Budapest’s sports infrastructure is ongoing.
The Hungarian parties confirmed that next year Hungary will organise four world championships – table tennis, fencing, pentathlon and kayak-canoe sprint – and additionally in 2019 Budapest will have the honour of bearing the title European Capital of Sport awarded by the European Union, Mr Havasi said. He highlighted that the Prime Minister is committed to hosting in Budapest the 2019 World Urban Games – a new-generation multi-sport event – which is a kind of “youthful sports festival in the heart of the city”, and features disciplines such as BMX freestyle cycling, inline skating, skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, teqball and breakdancing.