The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has picked Durban as South Africa’s preferred host city for an Olympic Games bid. Sascoc made the announcement on Thursday. The plans are aimed at the 2036 or 2040 Games.
Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, would be at the heart of the proposed Games. South Africa wants to become the first African country to host the Olympics.
“About 60% to 70% of everything is possible to be done in Durban,” said Sascoc acting president Lwandile Simelane.
“Durban as the host city will then be the home of the Olympic Village, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. We will definitely be making use of the whole country at large in the process,” he said.
Cape Town and Johannesburg could host events that cannot be held in Durban, IOL reported. Sascoc wants the Games to be compact, even with more than one city involved.
Both cities had also put themselves forward as host cities. Simelane said talks with all three cities showed they were willing to help if needed.
Some sports would need to be held away from certain cities because of what they require. IOL reported that surfing and sailing, for example, would not fit into Games based in Johannesburg.
Simelane said using other parts of the country would not mean giving up a compact Games. He said organisers were aware of the need to limit travel for athletes and spectators.
“We need to ensure that we do not create a fragmented Games and that it is compact, and that athletes are not expected to be all over the show, as well as spectators, to experience the Games,” he said.
The government has approved Sascoc’s bid. Questions about costs, existing sports facilities and public transport still need to be answered, IOL reported.
Sascoc chief executive Nozipho Jafta confirmed that South Africa is one of seven countries interested in hosting the 2036 Games. The others are Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea and Turkey.
Other countries have shown possible interest in the 2040 Games, IOL reported. They include Germany, Poland, Egypt and the United Kingdom.
All seven countries interested in 2036 have been invited to speak to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the end of November. They will explain what their regions offer and why they should move to the next phase.
“That’s when we will all be presenting our regions and sharing our stories to say why we are the countries that should go to the next phase of the process,” Jafta said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.