AKIPRESS.COM - Italy's Olympic Committee has officially withdrawn its bid to stage the 2024 Games in Rome after the city council voted to oppose the candidacy, committee chief Giovanni Malago said on Tuesday.
Clearly upset by having to pull the plug on his ambitious project, Malago said Italy had not only been made to look stupid by backing out at this late stage, but had also missed out on a golden opportunity to attract badly needed foreign investment, Reuters reported.
Rome's Mayor Virginia Raggi had said the city had to prioritise matters such as rubbish collection and corruption.
It means only Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest are left in the running after Boston and Hamburg also abandoned bids.
The International Olympic Committee is due to make a decision next September.