Spurs accused of threatening bid for 2017 worlds

London will be unable to bid for the 2017 athletics World Championships while Premier League club Tottenham pursues a legal battle for the Olympic Stadium, the British government said on Tuesday.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2011, 24:22:24 IST

AP | By HT Correspondent, London

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

London will be unable to bid for the 2017 athletics World Championships while Premier League club Tottenham pursues a legal battle for the Olympic Stadium, the British government said on Tuesday.

Tottenham is trying to overturn the decision to award the venue to West Ham after the ’12 Games so it can take control of the stadium and build a new venue without a running track. West Ham's bid to move into the stadium succeeded after the east London club pledged to retain some athletics facilities in a downsized 60,000-seat stadium.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company's decision enabled London to push ahead with a bid for the athletics worlds. But Britain sports minister Hugh Robertson doesn't think it can progress unless the legal wrangling is resolved before the IAAF deadline of September 1.

Third-tier football club Leyton Orient, which is based near the Olympic Park in east London, is also challenging the OPLC decision over the future of the $770 million stadium.

Stay updated with the latest scores, results, and headlines from us sports, wwe, football, tennis, hockey, and other sports. Follow live action, big tournaments, and top players across all major leagues on sports by Hindustan Times.