Nick Butler: Why to bid for the Olympics

One of the drawbacks of covering the Olympic Movement in the detail we do is that you tend to cover the same themes, or in our case pander out the same lines, over and over again.

Among the most common topics in recent months has been the ambivalence surrounding bidding for major events in a time of economic unease, with the fragmented race for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics a perfect example.

The most vocal criticism - by quite some margin - has come in Norway. Oslo remains one of the three Candidates in the race, although if the latest polls are anything to go by, this is against the wishes of a distinct majority of the population. And if the increasingly resentful nature of the comments we receive on our stories every time the fabled phrase "Oslo 2022" is used are anything to go by, this sentiment is only going to grow and grow as the moment for the Norwegian Government to decide whether to support the bid draws nearer.

Although the specifically anti-International Olympic Committee (IOC) nature of this criticism, which I rather rashly described as "hysterical" in a recent article, is unusual, the basis of these complaints is replicated elsewhere.

The 2022 bids from Stockholm and Kraków were withdrawn predominantly for this very reason, while attempts from St Moritz/Davos and Munich did not even get over the start-line after failing referendums to be launched.

With several German cities, as well as Rome and Paris, being mooted as potential bidders for the 2024 Summer edition, it will be a theme that continues to run.

It is also something relevant in areas outside of Western Europe, from villages upset by construction in Sochi, to residents of Tokyo furious about the overly-extravagant proposals for the new National Stadium, to vast multitudes spilling onto the streets of Brazil in opposition to spending for sporting events being prioritised over pressing socio-economic concerns.

Dark clouds are looming over Oslo's 2022 Winter Olympic bid as with many others throughout the Western world ©AFP/Getty Images

Dark clouds are looming over Oslo's 2022 Winter Olympic bid as with many others throughout the world ©AFP/Getty Images

In other parts of the world, where sport is seen as a way to propel a country into the global imagination, these concerns do not exist in the same way. This is particularly the case in the Middle East and ex-Soviet sphere where various countries are becoming increasing influential players in the global sporting stakes. One of the reasons why there is less opposition here is the nature of societies in these places, with less opportunity and motivation for the public to protest.

Another country where this is the case is China, with Nanjing the location for the Summer Youth Olympic Games starting in just five days time and Beijing one of the two other contenders in the 2022 race. An opinion poll commissioned in January 2014 by the Beijing 2022 Bid Committee showed that 92 per cent of the residents of Beijing support the bid and a whopping 99.5 per cent do in the neighbouring city of Zhangjiakou, where snow sports would take place.

What Oslo would give for even half this enthusiasm...

Yet when examining the new Beijing 2022 website over the weekend, my attention was grabbed by an article, written by Takung Sports analyst, Yang Hua, that put to bed many of these misconceptions that opinions in China are actually very different from those elsewhere.

Hua first points out that the accuracy of the aforementioned polls have been questioned, unsurprisingly, with views expressed on the internet far less positive.

He writes: "In summary, these opinions centre around doubts that hosting the Games would waste money, disturb people, and provide opportunities for corruption. Populists argue that money should be spent on health care, housing, education, pension, and unemployment to improve social welfare. In the meantime, nationalists believe that China should build a few carriers to defend its maritime safety against Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines."

The Youth Olympics in Nanjing will be another way to showcase China's ability to host major events ©Nanjing 2014

Hua also admits that some major events can be "vanity projects burning a hole in the country's budget" and others can be ruined by scandals, "such as the corruption case related to the Shenzhen 2011 Universiade".

But he then leaps to the defence of Beijing 2022, arguing how events should be considered on a case by case basis, and "because the Beijing-Zhangjiakou bid for the Olympic Winter Games is monitored by the highest authorities including President Xi Jinping," these fears are unfounded. Hosting the Games would also "speed up infrastructure projects in Hebei, slow down population increase in Beijing, and thoroughly improve air quality", it is claimed.

On a more general level, some events such as the Summer and Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are among the top sporting brands of the world, so hosting them "significantly boosts tourism, stimulates domestic demand, reduces unemployment, and cultivates a great sports culture".

On these grounds, he argues, opposing the Games for the sake of opposing it can be compared to "an ostrich that sticks its head to the sand to avoid reality". He concludes with the question: "Why would the Chinese not show the confidence and courage to host an edition of the Olympic Winter Games that is transparent and highly efficient, and benefits generations to come?"

Although the case of Oslo 2022 is different - I do not think Norway is unduly bothered by rival territorial claims on its 1,190 odd fjords, for example - other themes seem rather similar and, in my opinion, this is a very interesting addition to the debate on why bidding for the Olympics can be a good thing.

Redefining bid processes is indeed a key topic in the IOC's ongoing Olympic Agenda 2020 reform process, and in particular, how to communicate the benefits to local populations is something being prioritised.

The topic of bidding for major events is a key part of Olympic Agenda 2020 ©Getty Images

After the Olympic Summit in Lausanne last month, my colleague David Owen observed that allowing more "flexibility" for Olympic bid cities was a key desire, with candidate cities urged to focus on local legacy "from the very beginning of the bid procedure".

This was what London did so successfully and, while I'm not sure whether better presentation would radically alter the views of the anti-Oslo 2022 lobby, it may make a difference elsewhere, particularly when the success of recent events when they actually occur is considered, from London to Sochi via the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

And one has only to look at the most recent major sporting event, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, to see these obvious benefits, both for a Scottish nation striving for national self-confidence and for a city seeking both investment and publicity.

We hope to see the same in Nanjing next week.

Nick Butler is a reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.