POSTED: May 26th 2010
NewsUpdate
London 2012 deal sealed to stage badminton and gymnastics at Wembley Arena
KEIR RADNEDGE / Sports Features Communications
LONDON: Wembley Arena will, after all, be the venue for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 – instead of an the original projected temporary venue of Greenwich.
Wembley Arena, which was not available for consideration when London was awarded the Games by the IOC in Singapore, will also host next year’s World Badminton Championships.
London organising chairman Sebastian Coe said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with the sports and it’s a big boost for north London which will be a hub for the London 2012 Olympics with the football finals happening at Wembley Stadium.”
The decision, after months of negotiations, was also welcomed by Hugh Robertson, the new Minister for Sport and Olympics as well as by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Robertson said: “It is sensible during these difficult economic times to make use of an existing and established facility. Wembley Arena will be an excellent venue for fans and participants of both sports and I hope they will inspire many others to take up Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics."
Johnson, making a deliberate point after the recent announcement of funding cuts, said: “By using one of London's existing world-class venues, we have saved millions of pounds from the 2012 budget. We are in good shape to host a world-beating Games without spending beyond our means."
Similar votes of approval came from Denis Oswald, chairman of the IOC's 2012 coordination commission, from BWF badminton federation president Kang Young Joong and from gymnastics counterpart Bruno Grandi.
Keywords · London 2012 · Wembley Arena · badminton · gymnastics · Greenwich · Coe · Robertson · Johnson
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