adminMONACO. – An African bid to stage the Olympic Games for the first time will get widespread sympathy in the IOC after its new reforms, Olympic chief Thomas Bach said on Tuesday.
With Durban in South Africa considering a run for the 2024 Games, Bach said it was up to Africa to make a “feasible” case.
“This depends on Africa,” Bach said when asked when the first Olympics would be held in Africa.
Reforms passed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) such as making bidding easier and cheaper and allowing possible joint bids are intended to take the Games to “new regions”, according to Bach,
“We will see now,” Bach said.
“The next candidature phase is for the 2024 Olympic Games and we will see whether there will be a bid from Africa.
“I can only say that I think a feasible bid from Africa would enjoy many sympathies from among the IOC members but the first step has to be done by Africa,” the IOC president said.
The IOC decided on Friday that the host for the 2024 Games will be decided at a meeting in the Peru capital Lima in mid-2017.
Durban is already bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in what could be a launch pad for the Olympics.
Media reports have also spoken of a possible bid by Johannesburg, which could team up with Pretoria now that the new reforms allow the Games to be staged in two cities.
South Africa’s veteran IOC member Sam Ramsamy said last month that “Africa is ready to host an Olympics,” as he indicated that a South African bid is likely.
Any African bid for 2024 is likely to face strong European and US competition. – AFP.
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