Odishatv Bureau
Dubai: The UAE on Saturday decided to bid for the 2024 Olympics Games after a feasibility study concluded inadequacy to host the event in 2020.

"The country has decided not to enter the race for the 2020 Olympic Games and is instead planning to bid for the 2024 Games," the Olympic Committee of UAE revealed.

A feasibility study into Dubai`s capability to host the 2020 Games by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Populous concluded that 70 per cent of the infrastructure was already in place or planned, it was thus decided a bid would be better timed for 2024, the Committee said in a statement.

Dubai Crown Prince and Olympics Working Group chairman, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the country will only bid once its assured of the preparations to host the mega event.

"We fully intend to place a bid once I am totally satisfied that we are prepared to host the greatest sporting event in history in a way that would add value to the Olympic movement itself, as well as the youth of the Arab World," the Prince said.

"I believe that a concentrated effort must now be made on grassroots sports activities, building our human resources and administrative framework.

"Our energy needs to go first and foremost to achieving a just and lasting peace for our youth as the bedrock to a future bid which is most likely for the 2024 Olympic Games," Sheikh Hamdan added.

Should Dubai forward their tender to host the 2024 Olympics they will have to likely contend with rival bids from 14 other cities including Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Madrid, Kiev and Saint Petersburg.

The winner is likely to be announced in 2017.

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