OTTAWA, Jan. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay said on Thursday he would look for ways to get the swimming world championships back after the International Amateur Swimming Federation's (FINA) decision to drop the city as hosts due to financial shortfall.

    "We will provide the financial guarantees so that the event canbe held in Montreal despite what went on between FINA and the organizers," Tremblay told the Globe and Mail. "We have a contractwith FINA and we expect it to be honored."

    FINA voted unanimously on Wednesday to strip Montreal of its hosting rights because the organizers had failed to deliver financial assurances to stage the championships scheduled for July17-31.

    A lack of interest from sponsors and slow ticket sales left theorganizers with an estimated 8 million U.S. dollars shortfall.

    According to the Globe and Mail, the mayor set up a committee to find companies to close the funding gap and is lobbying FINA for a return of the championships.

    FINA has already reopened the bidding and expects to make a decision on February 15.

    Athens, host of last year's Olympics, expressed their interestin taking over the tournament while the German swimming federationis also contemplating a bid by either Berlin or Munich.

    Australia and Long Beach, California, which lost out to Montreal in the original bidding, have said they were not interested. Enditem