Khairy: M'sia considering bid to host Olympics in next 20 years

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will consider bidding to host the prestigious Olympic Games in the next 20 years, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (pix) said today.
He said this is a possibility that Malaysia is looking at, if the country can be financially capable of placing a bid and host the quadrennial world event.
"This matter is actually being considered. Maybe not in the near future, but if we are capable of placing a bid, we will consider doing it in the next 20 years.
"This is something that can really become a reality," he told reporters after attending the Olympic Day celebration at KL Sentral, here, today.
Also present was Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar.
Khairy's statement came three months after Tunku Imran said there is a possibility for Malaysia to bid for the Olympics after the introduction of the national Olympic Agenda 2020 in 2014.
He had said that if the bidding cost for hosting the Olympics could be reduced, Malaysia might have a chance to bid for the host job, with one of the options being teaming up with Singapore to make a joint bid.
"Tunku Imran had suggested to me recently to make a bid. If not as a single host nation, maybe co-hosting with a neighbouring country.
"And I was made to understand that the IOC is also considering allowing more than one host nation," Khairy said.
On Malaysia's performance in the recent Olympics and expectation for future ones, Khairy said there is a high chance the country could finally break its duck and win its first gold medal.
"We can see Malaysia's involvement growing in the Olympics in terms of our contingent size, and becoming more successful in terms of medals won.
"In the coming Tokyo 2020 Games, we have three to four sports that we think can win us our very first gold," he said.