Africa: Rogge Tasked On African Olympic Bid

21 March 2011

Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has been urged to offer as much support to a bid from Africa for the Olympics as Sepp Blatter gave to the continent’s staging of the World Cup in South Africa last year.

The success of the tournament won by Spain has raised hopes that an African city will soon be able to successfully bid to host the Olympcis and Paralympics, with Durban emerging as a serious candidate to put itself forward for the 2020 Games.

The subject was top of the agenda at the Africa International Sports Convention (CISA), an event attended by several IOC members and high-powered delegations from the three cities bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

South Africa’s Sam Ramsamy, a member of the IOC’s ruling Executive Board, was confident that there will be an African bidder for 2020 with Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth all having put themselves forward.

“We presented the bids by the three cities to the South African Government and we are awaiting the decision on which one of the trio will succeed,” he said.

“The outcome is expected next month and Africa is definitely in the race for 2020.”

Ramsamy claimed that when an African city did put itself forward then the whole continent would unite behind it.

AllAfrica – All the Time