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Tokyo enters bid to host 2016 Olympics
(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-08 17:23
Tokyo will bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The Japanese Olympic Committee on Thursday notified the International Olympic Committee of its intention to offer Tokyo as a candidate to host the games.
JOC President Tsunekazu Takeda and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara both submitted letters of intent to IOC President Jacques Rogge.
It is the first formal procedure in the process of making a bid for the Olympics with the IOC.
Tokyo hosted the Summer Games in 1964.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said his city faces tough competition from the growing list of international contenders. "These are very formidable cities," he said Thursday.
Chicago has never hosted the Olympics.
All candidate cities must submit their initial bid files to the IOC by September 13 but the Tokyo Olympic bidding committee decided to send out letters early in order to begin use of its logo from July 10.
Chicago, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have also been approved as candidates by their national Olympic bodies.
Other possible contenders include Rome; Prague, Czech Republic; Doha, Qatar, and Baku, Azerbaijan.
The IOC will select the winning city in 2009.
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