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Baku, Doha Bids For 2020 Olympics Rejected


Out of the running
Out of the running
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made its first cuts in the selection process to decide the host for the 2020 summer games.

The IOC dropped the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, and Doha from the list of bidders.

Three cities remain in the competition: Istanbul, Madrid, and Tokyo.

The three cities now have until September 2014 to convince the IOC they should hold the Olympic Games.

The IOC is scheduled to announce the host city for the 2020 games in Buenos Aires on September 7, 2014.

Baku has been embroiled in controversy surrounding its hosting this week of the Eurovision Song Contest, with critics using the event to focus on corruption, human-rights failings, and a lack of democracy.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

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