The governor of Alexandria, Adel Labib has announced that a new Olympic village will be constructed in the city, on a total land surface of 252,000 m2, in an attempt to host the Mediterranean games in 2017.

“We are now working on the plans for this village, which will be situated in front of the Borg El Arab stadium. The Inspection commission have seen our preparations and plans to build new stadiums and fields,” he said during a press conference held on Thursday in Alexandria, in the presence of the President of the Egyptian High National Council of Sports, Hassan Sakr, and members of the inspection commission to announce the news.

The International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) announced that five cities have submitted their candidature for the organisation of the 2017 Mediterranean Games. These cities are Alexandria (Egypt), Tripoli (Libya), Rijeka (Croatia), Tarragona (Spain) and Mersin (Turkey). The inspection commission started its visits in July and will present its report to the President and the ICMG executive committee members, in February 2011.

“President Mubarak gave his full support to the Egyptian committee to host this event. Now we will work on the inspection commission’s remarks in order to meet all the requirements,” said Sakr. The selection of the city that will host the 2017 Mediterranean Games will take place during the ICMG General Assembly in 2011.

Egypt hope to win the race for the 18th edition for the second time in their history, as Alexandria was the city where this quadrennial multi-sport event started in 1951.