Zakopane, often dubbed “the winter capital of Poland”, would be the host city and the main competition venue in Poland, given its favourable location.
Deputy sports minister Andrzej Gut-Mostowy said that Zakopane is best equipped to serve as the main venue on the Polish side, as it boasts ski jumping complexes, stadiums, and an ice rink.
He acknowledged that while there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of sports infrastructure, other sports centres in southern Poland have the potential to fill the gap, with Slovakia contriuting its ski slopes in the High and Low Tatras.
The Deputy Minister of Sport also estimated that the cost of organizing a Winter Olympics is up to eight times lower than that of organising a Summer Olympics.
"In terms of non-sport infrastructure, the key factor in assessing the feasibility of hosting the Olympics will certainly be the communication system,” the official said, adding that the sports arenas must be well connected to the nearest airports.
“The new, two-lane Zakopianka is almost ready. A two-lane road to Nowy Targ will be ready next year, and options for expanding the final section to Zakopane are being analysed," he said.
Previously, Zakopane didn’t receive the rights to host the Winter Olympics in 2006.
Another Polish-Slovak project to host the Olympics in 2022, with Krakow as the host city, was also unsuccessful.
(pjm)
Source: PAP
