The head of the Education, Science, Research and Sports Ministry, Dušan Čaplovič, embarked on a two-day visit to Poland on Wednesday, July 24. His schedule includes negotiations with the president of the Polish Olympic Committee, Andrzej Kraśnicki, about the preparation phase of the joint candidacy for the Winter Olympics Krakow 2022. Čaplovič also plans to hold talks with the Polish Minister of Sport and Tourism, Joanna Mucha, and the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Barbara Kudrycka.
“The issue to discuss with [my] Polish colleague will be more intense bilateral cooperation and exchange of information concerning the sports legislation,” the ministry’s press department told the TASR newswire on Wednesday, July 24. Čaplovič will also visit the National Stadium in Warsaw.
The Slovak government approved the idea of the joint candidacy in March 2013, and before an official application is submitted, the Ministry of Education and the Slovak Olympic Committee (SOV) will submit to the government by October 31, 2013 a comprehensive study including an assessment of the potential environmental impacts and calculations of the costs, the SITA newswire reported.
The total costs of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games are estimated at approximately $2 billion, and the majority of investments would be covered by Poland. Slovakia would host some of the skiing disciplines, which could be held in Jasná. Additional tracks for specific disciplines would have to be built there in the event of a successful bid. Poland has also suggested that Slovakia could organise the freestyle skiing events. Slovakia is interested in hosting the ice hockey tournament, but the parties will have to wait for an interpretation of the Olympic Charter to see whether it is possible to organise ice hockey in Slovakia.
(Source: TASR, SITA)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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