Games-Baku cost, size won't scare cities off European Games-EOC chief

By Karolos Grohmann BERLIN, June 11 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's multi-million investment in the inaugural European Games will not scare off other cities in the future, the head of the European Olympic Committees said on Thursday, a day after Netherlands pulled out of staging them in 2019. The Dutch government refused to support the project, pulling the plug less than a month after being awarded the second edition of the continental multi-sports event, saying authorities could not come up with 57 million euros ($64.15 million). That is a tiny fraction compared to what Azeri capital Baku has poured into the Games, building stadiums from scratch and a massive athletes' village, though the overall budget has never been made public. Azeri organisers have also enforced Games lanes on the streets and deployed a large fleet of official cars to shuttle athletes and officials around the venues in the capital of the energy-rich nation. The Dutch withdrawal two days before the first edition's opening ceremony was a slap in the face of the EOC but president Patrick Hickey remained upbeat, saying the event would eventually become "a phenomenal success" and the Dutch withdrawal would not overshadow the Baku Games. The 2014 Sochi winter Olympics had a similar effect on future bidders with four of six candidates for the 2022 winter Games pulling out over financial concerns, having seen the price tag for Sochi exceed a record $50 billion. "Baku needed infrastructure, they needed to train the personnel. They can now run any event in the world after these Games including the Olympics," Hickey told reporters. He said two cities which had been interested before the Netherlands were awarded the 2019 edition in May, had contacted him "late last night", eager to reopen negotiations. "We always said we would tailor-make the Games to a specific city," Hickey said. "What Baku wanted to achieve may not be the same as other cities. We go on a case-by-case basis. We are absolutely confident we will have a city in place for 2019 and 2023." But for the EOC's product to have any chance of establishing a lasting presence on the calendar it must secure the continent's top athletes in all sports are there, something it has failed to do in Baku. The continent's best track and field athletes and swimmers have stayed away. "Yes it is well-known that in these Games there is not the top level of athletes in swimming and athletics," Hickey said. "I have had a meeting with the European athletics federation president. He assures me we will have top athletics in the next competition." He said talks would also start with European swimming officials about bringing their best to the next edition. ($1 = 0.8885 euros) (Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)