HOSTING the Winter Olympics in Bulgaria will cost at least 1.322 billion euro.

At a news conference, Bulgarian ski federation chairperson Tseko Minev said that hosting the 2014 Winter Games would stimulate Bulgaria’s economic development, popularise Bulgaria’s natural and cultural heritage, stimulate the building of sports facilities and transport infrastructure, and create new jobs.

The deadline for would-be candidates to host the Games is January 2006. It is expected that seven countries will bid, including Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Austria and Spain.

In the first two selection rounds, Bulgaria will have to spend up to about nine million euro on an advertising campaign.

If the country is selected as the host, infrastructure costing about 1.322 billion euro will be built in the three venues, Sofia, Borovets and Bansko.

At a presentation, members of the Sofia 2014 Committee, including former sports minister Vassil “Luciano” Ivanov and Bulgarian Olympic Committee vice-president Svetlana Otsetova, gave details of Bulgaria’s plans regarding its bid for the Games.

Sofia will host some of the winter sports, including ice skating, short track, bobsleigh, sledge and curling, while Borovets and Bansko, respectively 70 to 120 km from Sofia, will be the focus of the main activities of the Olympic Games, including ski jumping, alpine ski, free ski, ski biathlon, etc.

The main Olympic Village will be built on the outskirts of Vitosha mountain.

Two multi-functional sport halls will be built in the southern part of Sofia.

Minev said that to meet all Olympic Games requirements, Sofia would have to solve the problem of a lack of parking areas and hotel accommodation.

He said that funds towards the cost of hosting the Games would be raised through sponsorships, advertising, and the sale of commercial items.