FEBRUARY 3 - THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that six National countries have submitted applications to host the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014.

 

 

They are China, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Poland and Turkey.

 

 

A number of National Olympic Committees have requested additional time to designate the city they wish to put forward as candidate city.

 

The IOC has extended the deadline for these NOCs to submit the name of their cities to April 1, 2009.

 

Jakarta in Indonesia, Nanjing in China and Poznan in Poland have already been confirmed.

 

Countries have to submit their bid files by September 4 and the IOC's ruling Executive Board will draw up a shortlist in December.

 

A final decision is due to be announced at the IOC Session in Vancouver on the eve of the Winter Olympics next February.

The new event, which is due to start in 2010 is the brainchild of the IOC President Jacques Rogge, is designed to generate enthusiasm among the world's teenagers who in recent years have turned away from the Games in greater numbers raising the average age of Olympics' television viewers.

 

 

Singapore was chosen as the first host last February while Innsbruck was picked as the first city to host the Winter Youth Olympics in 2012.