Havana, June 07: Cuba has announced that it has made a bid to host the 2012 Olympics, competing with cities such as Madrid, New York and London. Cuban government officials announced on Friday (June 6) that the island nation would make a bid for the capital Havana to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The head of the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC), Jose Ramon Fernandez, said his country's bid was partially based on their success in previous Olympic Games. In the last three Olympic Games - Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 - Cuba finished as one of the top 10 national medal winners. In the Sydney games, Cuba finished with 11 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 6 bronze medals. "Our country solicits the right to host the 2012 Olympics based on the success, on the successes, of the development of our sports nationally and internationally, of the proven solidarity we have in our avocation and our long, recognized and unblemished history in the bosom of the Olympic movement", said Fernandez. Officials recognized that there would be strong competition from Madrid, New York and London. Other cities competing for the 2012 Olympics are Moscow, Leipzig, Paris, Istanbul and Brazil's Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo.

Brazil will decide on their bid city on July 7.

"We understand perfectly that the responsibility of the aspiring city increases and that it faces contenders who are equally strong and have their own merits", said Fernandez.

"Despite this, being a poor and underdeveloped country, we trust in our struggle, confident in the victory". The only Latin American country to host the Olympics was Mexico in 1968. Cuba's bid to host the 2008 Olympics has been rejected by the Olympic committee. The site of the 2012 Olympics will be announced on July 6, 2005 in Singapore.

Bureau Report