Madrid’s bid for the 2016 Summer Games received a large boost Wednesday with the announcement that the Instituto Cervantes, the world’s largest Spanish Culture organization in the world, responsible for promoting the study and teaching of Spanish and Hispanic-American language and culture, is officially supporting Madrid’s 2016 bid.
The Instituto Cervantes will promote Madrid 2016 through its network of 73 centres across five continents where it runs many programs dedicated to Spanish and Hispanic American culture and language. Members and pupils of the institute who have a passion for Spanish culture will be invited to learn first-hand about the details of Madrid’s bid to host the 2016 Games, said a press release.
The institute affirms it shares “common goals” with Madrid 2016, in particular the organization of a “Games with the Human Touch to unite the 450 million Spanish-speakers around the world and to promote the values of the Hispanic and Mediterranean cultures to a wider audience”.
The Instituto Cervantes also believes in the Olympics promoting a genuine rotation of cultures and that the 2016 Games “will consolidate Madrid as a leading city in the Hispanic world and as a bridge of cooperation and understanding with the American, European, Mediterranean and African cultures”.
Mercedes Coghen, Madrid 2016 chief executive said, “I am delighted that the Instituto Cervantes, with its huge influence throughout the world, will do all they can in the final months to promote our bid. We all dream of holding an Olympic and Paralympic Games which will capture the passion of the Spanish culture”.
