MARIA SHARAPOVA BECAME AMBASSADOR OF MOSCOW'S APPLICATION FOR HOSTING OLYMPICS IN 2012

Russian woman tennis player Maria Sharapova became an ambassador of Moscow's application for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, RIA Novosti was told in the information centre of the Moscow 2012 Application Committee on Monday.
"If Moscow becomes the host of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2012, my dream and the dream of millions of Russia's inhabitants will come true. I am looking forward to a chance to explain people why precisely Moscow must become the Olympic city," Maria Sharapova said. "Russia has very rich sports history, and the hosting of the Olympics in Moscow in 2012 will mark the beginning of a new fine chapter in this history."

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov greeted Maria Sharapova as ambassador of Moscow's application for the Olympics-2012. "We are very glad that Maria, a bright young star on the world sports sky, agreed to become an international ambassador of our application," Mr. Luzhkov said. "She is an ideal symbol of Moscow's application for the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2012."
Miss Sharapova entered the prestigious and steadily growing list of outstanding athletes and other famous people coming out in support of Moscow's application for the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. World champion in boxing Kostantin Tszyu and the members of Russia's national team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens have also become Olympic ambassadors of Moscow's application. Last season Maria Sharapova won the Wimbledon tournament, and at the end of the year - the final competition of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).