The City Hall only allocated the bid 14.6 million crowns instead of expected 50 million. Local press reports that the lower subsidy is the result of Prague’s minimal chance of winning the 2016 games.
Prague Mayor, Pavel Bem, said: “We have never seriously thought that the year 2016 would be feasible.” He added that Prague should “learn to swim in Olympic diplomacy” and gather a wide range of data concerning Olympic Games adding that Prague “rather reckons” with 2020 or 2024 to host the Olympics. Bem said that Prague has 100 million crowns in its budget for the candidacy. The city has already spent 60 million crowns, about half of the estimated costs, on the bid. The total cost of a possible Prague Olympic Games is about 600 billion crowns.
Prague 2016 will use the money released to complete studies and continue the campaign. If the city is not shortlisted in June it will keep working with a minimal budget, and update its documents for a possible bid in 2020 or 2024.
