Fukuoka applies to host 2016 Games

The southern Japanese city of Fukuoka formally joined the country's capital Tokyo yesterday in the race to host the 2016 Olympics.

Fukuoka mayor Hirotaro Yamasaki presented his city's bid proposal to the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), heralding the start of a two-horse race to become Japan's 2016 candidate.

"We are expecting to see a plan of the highest quality that will be recognised as such by the world," JOC president Tsunekasu Takeda told reporters.

Tokyo, host of the 1964 Olympics, announced its intention last month and will present its bid to stage the Summer Games for a second time to the JOC on Friday.

Japan's candidate city will be decided on August 30.

Nagoya and the northern city of Sapporo both dropped out of the running earlier this year, citing the huge costs involved with staging an Olympics.

Yamasaki pledged, however, that Fukuoka could shoulder about 20 per cent of the estimated total cost of $15 billion for staging the Games.

Fukuoka's spaciousness means that the Olympic Village would be about five minutes away from the sporting venues for about 50 per cent of the athletes, he added.

The International Olympic Committee will choose the 2016 host city in 2009. Apart from the Summer Games in 1964, Japan has also hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in Sapporo (1972) and Nagano (1998).