The national body for sport development in Scotland said Friday it was “fully behind” London’s bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, after a poll showed poor support for the Games north of the border.
The organization, Sportscotland, said it wanted to “clarify” its position on the bid, after SNP MP Pete Wishart claimed Scottish people felt it was “another example of Scotland pays and London gains”. He said lower support for a London Olympic in Scotland compared to elsewhere in the UK “should come as no surprise to anyone. We know the Games will be good for London; the benefits have been well documented. On the other hand, very little is know of the benefits to Scotland”.
Sportscotland said its view was “contrary to that clearly implied by Peter Wishart”.
Chairman Alastair Dempster said” “I wish to make it quite clear that Sportscotland and, I believe, Scottish sport as a whole, is fully behind London’s bid to bring the Olympic Games to the UK in 2012. A successful British Olympic bid would be a tremendous boost for British sport and the athletes from all home countries, and we will do everything possible to support London 2012 in the final stages of the bid process”.
He believed staging the Olympics in London would yield benefits north, as well as south, of the border. “A successful British Olympic bid would be a tremendous boost for British sport and the athletes from all home countries, and we will do everything possible to support London 2012 in the final stages of the bid process”.
Meanwhile, bid organizers are expecting at least 250,000 people to turn out for Monday’s parade of Olympic medallists that would boost London’s 2012 bid.
Although the occasion will not be on the same scale as the England rugby team’s World Cup celebrations last year, a huge turn out would send a clear message to Olympic leaders about Britain’s enthusiasm for the Games.
London 2012 Communications Director Mike Lee said, “the victory parade is important. It can send a message out internationally”.
