Azerbaijan bids for 2020 Olympics in Baku

Azerbaijan bids for 2020 Olympics in Baku

Published Sep. 1, 2011 7:46 a.m. ET

Azerbaijan's National Olympic Committee says it has submitted a bid to host the 2020 Olympics in its capital, Baku.

Committee spokeswoman Konul Nurulleyeva says Thursday the experience gained in the city's failed bid for the 2016 Games would help it to mount an improved challenge.

Baku joins Madrid, Rome, Tokyo, Istanbul and Doha, Qatar, among the 2020 bid contenders.

The deadline for bid submissions to the International Olympic Committee is late Thursday. The IOC will announce the list on Friday.

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Nurulleyeva says Baku's application was filed two weeks ago, only days after Azerbaijan's sporting authorities denied they would bid for the games.

Nurulleyeva says a stadium is already being built for the Olympics on the outskirts of Baku and will be completed by next year.

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