Leader of the United Center Party and independent MP Viktor Baloha has called on the Ukrainian authorities to withdraw the country's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics because of the high cost of such an event.
“The citizens of Bavaria said no to the 2022 Olympics at a referendum, despite the cost of the Olympic Games in Munich totaling just UAH 3.3 billion. I’m sure that the Ukrainian authorities must follow this example and withdraw their application from the International Olympic Committee… The world doesn’t respect countries that hold pompous celebrations, but with those in which the citizens have a worthy standard of living. Pompous parades and multi-billion sports competitions are, as a rule, a manifestation of the complexes of poor and totalitarian states,” the party’s press service quotes Baloha as saying on Monday.
As reported, Ukraine has submitted an official declaration to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on its intention to bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in the west of Ukraine. The government believes holding the Olympics in Lviv, Tysovets and Borzhava will create new opportunities to practice winter sports in this territory, which would attract both tourists and professional sportsmen.
