The IOC has opened the bidding process for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee sent notices to national Olympic committees on Monday inviting them to submit the name of a bid city by 1 September.

Any applicant cities must then send their bid files to the IOC by 15 February, 2012. The host city will be selected by the IOC on 7 September, 2013, in Buenos Aires.

So far, Rome is the only city put forward as a candidate by its national Olympic committee.

Other possible contenders include Durban, South Africa; Tokyo; Madrid; Istanbul, Turkey; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.