Netherlands pull out of hosting 2019 European Games

The Netherlands have pulled out of hosting the 2019 European Games just before the inaugural version of the competition in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Dutch government said today that there was insufficient support for funding the event, claiming that the €57.5m (£41.9m) required was too high for local, provincial and national authorities.

There are also questions over whether the best athletes would participate because there are other European Championships that year in sports such as swimming and athletics.

The European Olympic Committees will now hold discussions with five other potential candidates over hosting the Games, which begin this year in Baku on Friday.