BUDAPEST, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Nearly two-thirds of Hungarians support a potential Budapest bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to a survey by Hungarian pollster Median.
Median Managing Director Endre Hann told Hungarian news agency MTI that 64% of respondents were either "completely" or "somewhat in favor" of Budapest hosting the Games.
Commissioned by the Hungarian Olympic Committee, the survey included a nationwide sample of 1,000 respondents and an additional 500 respondents in Budapest.
"We did the first one in autumn 2024, and opinions on the prospective hosting rights have improved significantly since," Hann said. "This year there has been an even greater improvement."
The survey also found that 60 percent of Hungarians believed the country was heading in the right direction.
"Hosting the Olympics is now much more a project for the country and the nation as a whole," Hann said.
The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa and Türkiye had expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Games. The host is expected to be selected in mid-2029.
Budapest previously bid to host the 2024 Olympics but withdrew in 2017 amid public opposition.
In June, Hungarian Interior Minister Gabor Posfai told parliament that Hungary was capable of hosting the Games.
"A country's strength is determined not only by its population and economic size, but also by the talent, diligence and unity of its people," he said.
Budapest has hosted several major international sporting events, including the World Aquatics Championships in 2017 and 2022 and the World Athletics Championships in 2023.
The Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix has been held annually since 1986 at the Hungaroring in nearby Mogyorod. This year, Budapest also hosted the UEFA Champions League final and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship. ■