[ 2011-07-09 ]

Olympics chief Rogge courts S. Africa bid for 2020
DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) - Olympics chief
Jacques Rogge gave his stamp of approval here
Saturday to a bid by South Africa for the 2020
Games.

"The country is ready," the International Olympic
Committee president told a press conference.

"The 2010 World Cup showed that South Africa was
ready to organise the Olympic Games. It's up to
them now to decide."

Rogge's comments come just weeks after the South
Africa government appeared to close the door on a
potential bid by a city like Durban for 2020,
preferring instead to invest in basic
infrastructure.

"The decision taken by cabinet is final," chief
government spokesman Jimmy Manyi insisted on May
26.

The government wanted to improve basic services
like water and electricity and rein in rampant
joblessness, which have sparked major protests in
angry poor communities in recent years.

Rogge however said he had come away from talks
with South African President Jacob Zuma during the
IOC's congress here this week with a feeling that
the Olympics could still be on the agenda.

The Belgian said he had sensed "a strong desire
(from South Africa) for a future bid, in 2020 or
2024".

Rogge's assertion is sure to reopen a debate for
2020 with South Africa and other potential bidders
having until September 1 to make a decision on
whether to take the plunge.

Japan finds itself in the same boat as South
Africa in terms of wavering about whether to put
Tokyo's hat in the ring for 2020.

Tokyo's problem is the designation of another
Asian venue, South Korea's Pyeongchang, as host
for the 2018 Winter Olympics by the IOC here on
Wednesday.

Commenting on Tokyo's geographical handicap Rogge
said that "you have to separate deliberations on
the Winter and Summer Games", although not all IOC
voters would agree with him.

Japanese Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu
Takeda was keeping his cards close to his chest
about Tokyo, thanking the IOC for their support in
the wake of the tsunami-quake disaster that struck
the country in March.

He said an eventual Olympic Games in Japan "would
act as a catalyst to help our people overcome the
obstacles they have experienced".

Other potential bidders for 2020 are Istanbul and
Madrid, one of the cities which lost out to Rio de
Janeiro for the 2016 Games at the IOC vote in
Copenhagen in October 2009.

With less than two months to go before the
deadline to lodge a bid the only confirmed
candidate for 2020 is Rome.

Source - AFP

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