City in pole position to lead 2020 charge
July 14, 2010. Durban has emerged as the South African favourite to bid for the Olympic Games in 2020 after the South African Sports Confederation (Sascoc) and Olympic Committee formally announced it would oversee a bid and encouraged potential host cities around the country to put their names in the hat.
Durban impressed during the World Cup with its unmatched weather, excellent infrastructure and facilities and smooth handling of traffic, crowds and security issues. But it was perhaps the combination of the city’s beautiful beachfront boulevard and awesome winter weather which impressed the most.
Figures such as the city’s Mayor Obed Mlaba, Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo and Municipal Manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe have already expressed the view that Durban is geared up for a shot at the 2020 Olympics, but as Naidoo said, “We still need a formal endorsement from the executive committee of council”.
The city’s Head of Strategic Projects Julie May Ellingson said as long as a year ago, when discussing the construction of the Moses Mabhida stadium and related infrastructure, that all “World Cup” projects were in fact legacy projects which would continue to serve the city long after the World Cup was over.
The Olympics, she said, were a definite long-term target.
What the Washington Post said about Durban.
South Africa has every reason to feel optimistic after International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, who recently met President Jacob Zuma in South Africa, said the IOC would welcome an Olympic bid from South Africa. Rogge was very complimentary about South Africa’s World Cup organisation, while Fifa President Sepp Blatter gave Durban 9 out of 10 for its World Cup efforts.
While the costs associated with hosting an Olympics are heavy – the Sunday Tribune reports that the Sydney Olympics (2000) carried a price tag of R43 billion and the Beijing Olympics (2008) R334 billion – Durban would receive huge support from government and enjoy massive spin-offs and inestimable marketing mileage out of the event.
Who knows, the city may have little time to catch its breath after its 2010 adventure – if our perfect destination for the Olympics is recognised, we could have to do it all over again. – Garth Johnstone