The Belgian Interfederal Olympic Committee (COIB) has made a bid to bring the European Olympic Youth Festival (EOYF) "back to Belgium" in 2029.
The Olympic youth games for athletes aged between 14 and 18 were first organised in Brussels in 1991, and have since been held every two years in a different city or region.
The Flemish Government has backed a proposal from the COIB to host the festival in the region in five years' time.
Jean-Michel Saive, president of COIB, said it is "wonderful" that the Flemish Government believes in the project.
"It was one of our objectives, set with our board of directors, to bring the EOYF back to Belgium. This provides us the chance to stage a significant multi-sport Olympic event in our country, geared towards our youth and shaped by Olympism and Olympic values," he said in a press statement.
The EOYF attracts more than 3,600 athletes from 50 different countries to compete across seven days in July. The host nation can chose ten sports disciplines for the 2029 competition, eight of which must be Olympic sports, leaving the opportunity to platform two new or niche sports in the remaining slots.
The COIB has said that if its bid is successful, it will establish an organising committee to determine the host cities in Flanders, as well as detail of the sports programme - in collaboration with the Flemish Government, Sport Vlaanderen, and relevant federations.
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The COIB’s chief executive, Cédric Van Branteghem, highlighted a “shared vision focused on young talents” with the Flemish Government and Sports Minister Ben Weyts (MR).
"We can ignite in our future generations the enthusiasm and the dream of an Olympic experience. Being able to build on the legacy of Jacques Rogge is an additional edge," said Mr Van Branteghem.
Known as the Olympic Youth Days when it was first hosted in Brussels in 1991, the event was founded under the guidance of Jacques Rogge, the then president of the European Olympic Committees.
At the most recent edition, held in Maribor, Slovenia, in July 2023, Belgium clinched four medals, including a gold won by Nafy Thiam in shot put.
