Olympics:Athens may move the Olympics to cater for football
Friday, 17 March 2000 13:53ATHENS, March 17 (Reuters) - Greece is pondering whether to move the 2004 Summer Olympics forward by two weeks so that professional soccer players can take part, Athens' chief Olympic organiser Costas Bakouris said on Friday.
"It is not going to be easy but it is also an attractive proposal," Bakouris told a news conference. He was referring to a request by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch to bring the Games forward two weeks from the planned dates of August 13-29. He said the main problems were securing hotel space -- the Greek hoteliers association has agreed to book the necessary rooms for the Games in the original dates -- and increasing seat capacity at Greek soccer stadia. "If they had told us this some years ago it would be easier ... the IOC wants us to give them an answer before the next (IOC) executive board meeting on April 18-19," Bakouris said.
Another senior Greek organiser told Reuters last week that the issue would be finalised on May 10-12 when the IOC's coordination commission will pay its next visit to Athens. The IOC says the date change would allow the top players to appear for their national teams at the Games by avoiding clashes with domestic league fixtures or the European Champions League. Bakouris will discuss the issue with Samaranch on Saturday when he will be in Athens to attend the world short-course swimming championships.
