Olympics-Prague approves bid to host Summer Games

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The vote was 50 to 10 in favour of trying to bring the Summer Games to eastern Europe for the first time since the fall of Communism across the region nearly two decades ago.

"The Prague candidacy is not just a city one, but one for the whole Czech Republic," Mayor Pavel Bem told a news conference after the vote.

"It must be a pragmatic, economically thought-out project," said Bem, himself a sportsman who is taking a break this month to climb Mount Everest.

Bem said it was unlikely the city would win the 2016 Games but the bid would prepare ground for a more solid candidacy for 2020.

Prague officials have said they will aim for a smaller Games than those next year in Beijing or London in 2012 and try to respect the character of the ancient city.

Dissenters have complained the plan would just run up debts and leave historic Prague with unusable purpose-built stadiums and buildings.

The city commissioned a study which concluded the Games would cost 136 billion crowns ($6.35 billion), though the overall investment required would be 623 billion crowns, including various infrastructure projects needed anyway.

Chicago and Los Angeles are vying for the U.S. nomination to host the 2016 Games. Qatar, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Rome and New Delhi have also expressed an interest.

The International Olympic Committee will decide the venue for the 2016 Games in 2009.