The Spanish capital is vying for the right to host the summer Games with Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and Tokyo, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will choose the winner at its Session in Copenhagen on October 2, 2009.

 

Incidents of racism at Spanish sporting events have tarnished the nation's image in recent years, leading to fears Madrid's chances of winning could be hampered.

 

Mercedes Coghen, the chief executive of Madrid's bid, said: "Madrid is a tolerant city, even if it's true that there have been some incidents perpetrated by a minority that in no way represent the general attitude of Madrid residents."

 

A short film promoting the Olympic bid, including messages of support from football players such as Real Madrid's Portuguese defender Pepe and Atletico Madrid's Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi was presented at a special event to promote the bid.

 

Coghen said: "Sport is a weapon in the armoury of tolerance."

 

Madrid's decision to address the issues of integration and tolerance follows another incident this month when Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o was victim of racist chanting at a Primera Liga match in Malaga.

 

In an earlier incident earlier this season, Getafe's Ecuadorian forward Joffre Guerron was racially abused during a match at Sporting Gijon, according to the referee's report.

 

It followed two incidents earlier this year involving Britain's new Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.

 

At testing in Barcelona in February some Spanish spectators blackened their faces, wore wigs and sported tee-shirts with the words '"Hamilton's family" on them.

 

Then last month, Hamilton's build-up to the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, where he clinched the title to become, at the age of 23, the sport's youngest ever world champion, was disrupted by another racism row.

 

The Spanish branch of New York-based advertising agency, TWBA, which is part of Omnicom was forced to close down a website set-up where people were asked to leave virtual pins, nails and porcupines to stop Hamilton winning the Grand Prix  after hundreds of abusive messages about the British driver were posted.

 

It followed a report published on insidethegames that England's football team is currently refusing to play an international friendly against European champions Spain in Madrid in 2009 because its players were racially abused during a match at Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium in 2004.

 

UEFA, football's governing body in Europe, had also ordered Atletico Madrid to play two Champions League home games at a neutral venue because of violent and racist behaviour by the club's fans during a match against Marseille earlier last month.

 

That decision was later changed on appeal.

 

Also, on the eve of the Olympics in Beijing, Spain's men's basketball team posed for a publicity photo where they used their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.

 

That image emerged during the Beijing Games, and the photo continued to be used for publicity purposes in Spain long past the Olympics.