The five cities seeking to hold the 2020 Olympics have introduced their proposals to an international gathering of national Olympic officials.

The presentations yesterday by Tokyo, Istanbul, Madrid, Baku, Azerbaijan and Doha, Qatar to the Association of National Olympic Committees were the first chance for the bids to be seen in comparison to each other. The winner will be decided by the International Olympic Committee next September.

Qatar, which will send its first female competitors to the Olympics this summer in London, said its bid would expand opportunities for women athletes in the Middle East. It would hold the games in October to avoid the desert emirate’s searing heat.

Several bids emphasized compactness. Tokyo said 28 of the 31 competition venues would be within eight kilometres (five miles) of the athletes’ village.