Four Moldovan athletes have so far qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games, but the National Olympic Committee hopes the country will be represented by at least 25-30 sportspersons in 10-13 events at the competitions. The four athletes include marathonist Iaroslav Mushinski, athlete Ion Luchianov and weightlifters Ivan Emelianov and Zalina Marghiev. Valentin Chicu, head of the National Olympic Committee’s Communication and Marketing Division, has told Info-Prim Neo that the Moldovan sportspersons still can qualify for the Summer Olympics if they perform successfully at international competitions and world and European championships. High hope is put in the Baku World Boxing Championship and the Ankara International Boxing Tournament, the Judo World Championship and the Judo Grand Slam competitions that will take place this autumn. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Moldova was represented by 29 sportspersons who competed in eight events. Boxer Veaceslav Gojan won bronze. Moldova ranked 81st out of 205 participating countries. Valentin Chicu said that during the last 11 years the Government has not contributed to covering the traveling costs for the national squad at the Olympic Games. The costs for transport, parade and contest equipment, and information and promotion activities are usually covered by the National Olympic Committee and from sponsorship that is obtained with great effort. At the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics, the Government allocated money only for prizes - €15,000 for silver, €10,000 for bronze and by €1,000 for the athletes who ranked fifth. The independent Moldova started to take part in Olympic Games in 1994, at the Winter Lillehammer Olympics, and has been represented at every competition since then. Until now, Moldova won five Olympic medals – two silvers and three bronzes in kayak-canoeing, shooting, boxing and wrestling. The 30th Olympic Games will take place in the UK between July 26 and August 12, 2012. London is the first city in modern history that hosts the Summer Olympic Games for the third time, after 1908 and 1948.