The Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD) has scheduled a meeting with Olympic federations for Friday, according to the EFE. CSD President Miguel Cardenal has "arranged to meet with leaders of Olympic federations this week" and will meet with representatives of non-Olympic federations "at the end of the month." Spain's Education, Culture & Sports Minister José Ignacio Wert said both before and after Tokyo was named as the host of the 2020 Olympics that the "funds for sports in '14 would not decrease." Next year, "sports federations will not have to spend money on drug tests, because those will be done by Spain's new 'law for the protection of athletes' health and the fight against doping.'" Cardenal said, "We have to work on new formulas of financing with the hope of beginning to recover public financing. We are working with the federations to finalize projects" (EFE, 9/10).
CATALONIA WOULD BACK BARCELONA BID: In Barcelona, Fidel Masreal reported Spanish state of Catalonia government spokesperson Francesc Homs confirmed that the Barcelona city council "will have the Catalonia government's support if it bids to host the 2022 Winter Olympics." Homs said, "What they decide will have our complete support. If the candidacy becomes official in the next few weeks, we will be able to talk about it" (EL PERIODICO, 9/10).
