London Mayor Khan to push UK government for 2040 Olympics bid

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Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, is eager for the UK capital to once again play host to the summer Olympics.

“Since I’ve been mayor, I’ve been keen to make sure London is the sporting capital of the world,” Khan told Bloomberg News on Friday while traveling to Paris on the Eurostar, adding that his trip had so far not been impacted by a co-ordinated attack that canceled trains and delayed others.

Khan said he’d speak to the British Olympic Association and the new Labour government, led by Keir Starmer, about a potential bid for the summer Olympics in 2040. London last hosted the Games in 2012, widely seen as a rare success story for the event.

“We don’t have to build stadiums, most of the infrastructure is there, so we’re uniquely placed in terms of the cost,” Khan said, referencing the aquatics center and velodrome among existing facilities from London 2012.

“I’m quite keen to see other parts of the UK benefit from a future London Olympics,” he said, adding there’s “no reason” for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and other parts of England not to able to host certain events.

This summer to date, around 6 million fans have watched sporting events involving baseball, cricket and tennis in London, Khan said, adding that he spoke this week with the team at TKO Group and World Wrestling Entertainment about bringing it to Europe.

“I’m also keen to bring the NBA to London,” he said, referencing the US basketball league. Should that happen, it’d follow in the footsteps of the National Football League and Major League Baseball, as both have hosted regular-season games in London.