On Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Julio C. Maglione, chairman of the International Swimming Federation (FINA), sgined the agreement on Budapest hosting the 2017 World Aquatics Championships. Speaking at the signature ceremony in the Swiss city of Lausanne, PM Orbán said that the national unity behind the event is a genuine guarantee for its success.
Speaking to journalists, the Prime Minister said that the World Aquatics Championships will be the biggest sports event ever organised by Hungary and may prove the biggest event of any kind based on the number of visitors. The country’s bid to host the championships is backed by the entire country, he insisted.
The Prime Minister said of his meeting after signing the agreement with Thomas Bach, chairman of the International Olympic Committee, that the IOC’s Agenda 2020 reform package has enabled cities such as Budapest to host the Olympic Games. Preparations are under way and the country’s bid will be supported by the government if necessary, but the issue concerns the sports community, he explained.
FINA chairman Julio C. Maglione expressed his gratitude to Mr. Orbán and Tamás Gyárfás, chairman of the Hungarian Swimming Federation and head of the event’s organisational committee, that the country agreed to host the 2017 World Aquatics Championships after Mexico unexpectedly backtracked from the undertaking. Hungary went along with organising World Championships in two years when a country usually has four years to prepare for hosting the event, he recalled.
via mno.hu
photo: Facebook/Viktor Orbán