Prague, the capital of the Czech republic, officially joined the contest for the 2016 summer Olympic Games on Tuesday.

 

Prague mayor Pavel Bem and head of the Czech Olympic Committee (COV) Milan Jirasek signed a letter, which will be sent to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

"It is a momentous day, without any exaggeration," Jirasek said.

 

"When we started discussing the opportunity, we set the condition that the effort should be beneficial to the Czech Republic at any moment," he added.

 

Bem said this was not only the affair of the city, but of all Czechs.

 

"The Olympic Games are a tremendous challenge for all of us," Bem said.

 

"It touches upon our national pride and on everything of what we can be rightly proud," he added.

 

Organizers also unveiled the logo of the Prague candidature made by artist Eduard Kauba. It is dominated by the name PRAHA and green laurel twigs for the winners, created by the numerals of 2016. The twig is intertwined with ribbons.

 

According to an economic study, the costs amount to some 490 billion crowns ($1=20.292 Czech crowns).

 

According to IOC president Jacques Rogge, other bid cities include Madrid, Tokyo, Chicago along with Doha, Qatar and Baku, Azerbaijan.

 

The IOC will select the host city in October 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2007)