South Africa chooses Durban as its preferred host city for 2036 or 2040 Olympics bid
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Durban has been selected as South Africa’s preferred location to potentially bring the Olympic Games to Africa for the first time.
The nation is preparing a proposal to host either the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The host selection for 2036 will be finalised by the International Olympic Committee in mid-2029.
South African Olympic committee acting president Lwandile Simelane confirmed on Thursday that Durban, the country’s third largest city, had been chosen.
She explained that while Durban will serve as the primary candidate city, the proposal will probably take the form of a “multi-city bid”, with certain events staged in other locations.
Cape Town alongside Johannesburg, South Africa’s financial centre, were also under consideration for the candidacy.
Home to roughly four million residents on the subtropical Indian Ocean coastline, Durban was previously highlighted as a potential Olympic venue over ten years ago after South Africa staged the 2010 World Cup – the first in Africa.
However, an official application failed to materialise at the time, largely due to concerns over costs.
The city was also stripped of hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games after failing to provide the financial or other guarantees required for the event.
On Thursday, officials stated they were not yet able to give cost estimates for hosting the Olympics should the application succeed.
They said Durban’s bid would be centred on the 56,000-capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium, which was constructed for the 2010 World Cup.
South Africa is among seven nations competing for the 2036 Games, alongside India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey.
The deadline set by the IOC for national Olympic committees to formally declare their interest in bidding for the 2036 Games was 31 October.
To launch the official bidding process, candidate nations will have an opportunity to make virtual presentations to the IOC next month. The IOC stated that a key date will arrive in March, when its board approves a shortlist of candidates.
Should South Africa succeed, it would become the first African host of the Summer Games since the modern Olympics was created in 1896. Africa’s largest economy previously failed with a bid to stage the 2004 Games in Cape Town.
The Youth Olympics open this weekend in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first Olympic sports event to be held in Africa.
AP
