Durban Leads South African Cities As Potential Olympic Host

Durban appears to be winning the race among four South African cities interested in a potential bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. The bidding process is expected to begin formally in 2011, and the host will be selected in 2013.

Durban appears to be in the driving seat, positioning itself strongly and developing the Kings’s Park sporting precinct.

The precinct runs from the Moses Mabhida Stadium to the Durban International Convention Centre and provides, among other things, a 76 000-seater stadium, several small stadiums including Absa Stadium, a cycling track and an arena suitable for indoor sports.

A senior city official said the city had already begun its lobbying process, with KwaZulu-Natal’s premier, Zweli Mkhize, notifying the South African bid committee of the province’s willingness to back the city’s bid.

Durban ahead in Olympics bid
Sport 24
December 5, 2010

Group Wants 2024 Olympics in Hawaii

A group at the University of Hawaii is trying to push an effort to lure the 2024 Olympics to Honolulu.

Associate Professor Amy Christie Anderson and her team have conducted preliminary research, created early designs and mapped out three staging options: spreading the events around the Hawaiian Islands, collecting them along Oahu’s south shore from Kapolei to East Honolulu, or concentrating everything in a single area such as Kalaeloa or Iwilei.

Many cities and countries use the Olympics to market themselves to the world. Of course, Hawaii already has a global image, but the Olympics might sell the idea that this is a place to do more than just relax on the beach.

Can Hawaii Capture the 2024 Olympics?
Hawaii Business
October 2010

Africa Must Wait 20 Years for Olympics, Says IOC Official

An official with the International Olympic Committee says it's unlikely an African city will host the Olympics within the next 20 years. South African officials have announced their intentions to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics following the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup.

“There is a huge amount of work to be done besides political desire, hence the experts’ view that any realistic chance for (hosting the) Olympics in Africa is between 2030 and 2040,” said Nawal El Moutawakel, who chaired the IOC’s coordinating committee for the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.

“I have read studies by some universities specialising in the Olympics who gave Africa between 2030 and 2040 to host the Games and that is a very realistic chance because Olympics is a different ball game,” she said.

Africa must wait 20 years for Olympics
Reuters via Zimbabwe Independent
July 29, 2010

Zimbabwe Sets Sights on South Africa's 2020 Olympics Bid

Officials in Zimbabwe look at the prospective bid from South Africa to host the 2020 Olympics as another opportunity to cash in on its neighbor's international attention -- an opportunity some say the country didn't take advantage of during the 2010 World Cup.

Zimbabwe – which is in an ideal geographical position to benefit from South Africa’s hosting of the Olympic Games – failed to capitalise on the just ended World Cup in a development that saw the country losing out on the financial benefits that result in being directly associated with football’s premier event.

Critics say Zimbabwe government failed to aggressively market the country’s tourist attractions like the Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe Ruins and that this resulted in very little people visiting the country during the tournament.

SA Olympic bid may benefit Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean
July 16, 2010

LOC Says South Africa Can Handle Olympics

South Africa's 2010 Local Organizing Committee head says that the country's hosting of the World Cup proves that it is capable of hosting other major events, including the Olympics.

"This World Cup has helped change the image of South Africa, achieved an image makeover of the country, almost a rebranding of the country. And also a demonstration of the capacity of the country," said [Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the 2010 organising committee].

The infrastructure investment required to deliver Africa's first World Cup was the subject of intense argument, but organisers consistently claimed that changing perceptions of potential investors and tourists would be a key benefit.

Now for the Olympics, says man who brought World Cup to South Africa
Guardian
July 11, 2010

Blatter Backs SA Bid for 2020 Olympics

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has annonced that he will fully back South Africa if any of its cities choose to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

South Africa's successful hosting of the World Cup has increased its prospects of hosting the event when bidding opens for the 2020 Games. President Jacob Zuma told reporters last week that South Africa was up to the task.

The International Olympic Committee awarded the 2016 Games to Brazil, making it the first time a South American country will host the games. This will leave Africa as the only continent yet to stage the Olympics.

South Africa: Olympics Hopes Get Blatter's Backing
Bua News
July 9, 2010

'South Africa Ready for Olympics'

South African President Jacob Zuma says his country's hosting of the FIFA World Cup is proof that it is ready to host the Olympics. Cape Town submitted a bid to host the 2004 Summer Olympics, but lost out to Athens, Greece.

"We have got the facilities. Those who take decisions (about the hosting of major sports event) have seen how South Africa is. I'm sure we could do it," Zuma said.

'SA ready for Olympics'
Independent Online
June 22, 2010

Questioning the Wisdom of Hosting International Sporting Events

This article from the International Monetary Fund looks at the investments required to host big international sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup and challenges the wisdom of making those investments.

Though the article explores some of the benefits Olympics can create for cities, it also warns that the costs of hosting these events are increasingly large.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles experience was exceptional. Subsequent host cities found it impossible to procure the same proportion of private support. Several billion dollars in public monies was committed in Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Nagano (1998), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), and Beijing (2008).

The Barcelona Olympics left the central Spanish government $4 billion in debt, and the city and provincial governments an additional $2.1 billion in the red. The Nagano Organizing Committee showed a $28 million surplus, while the various units of Japanese government were left with an $11 billion debt (Burton and O’Reilly, 2009). In Athens, public investment exceeded $10 billion, and in Beijing, more than $40 billion.

Is It Worth It?
Finance and Development
March 2010

First World Cup, Then Olympics?

South Africa's World Cup Local Organizing Committee CEO Danny Jordaan is hoping the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup will set the country up for a possible Olympic hosting gig in the near future.

"The one event Africa has not hosted is the Olympics," Jordaan told the portfolio committee on tourism.

"A successful World Cup will put pressure on the IOC to award for the first time since 1896 the Olympics to Africa."

The first modern-day Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

"Africa has waited 100 years for the Fifa World Cup to be awarded. It has now waited more than 100 years for the Olympics to be awarded to Africa."

Jordaan hints at Olympic bid
Independent Online
November 3, 2009

Olympic Hopes Lost, Japan Still Eyes World Cup

Tokyo recently lost its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, but Japan still has its sights set on hosting either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

The JFA had planned to use the proposed 100,000-seater waterfront Olympic stadium had Tokyo won the 2016 Olympic vote. Yokohama, venue for the 2002 World Cup final, has Japan's biggest stadium with a capacity of 70,000.

JFA president Motoaki Inukai wants Tokyo -- which did not host matches at the 2002 tournament -- to stage the World Cup final.

Japan plans World Cup bid despite 2016 failure
ESPN
October 5, 2009

Brazil Cautions Itself About Overspending for 2014

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed concern and warning about the country's upcoming 2014 World Cup hosting duties, calling on planners to not overspend and to focus on creating projects and investments that will have a long-term use and viability after the tournament.

His caveat this week came a day after Jerome Valcke, the general secretary of Fifa, said officials were concerned that infrastructure built for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa would become "white elephants".

"We're going to hold the World Cup in 2014 and we shouldn't go overboard and spend what we don't have," the Brazilian president said.

Fifa have approved 12 cities to host games in 2014 and all of them must build new stadiums or refurbish older ones.

2014 World Cup costs a cause for concern
The Star
June 25, 2009

Obama's Chicago Roots May Help City Win 2016 Olympic Bid

President Barack Obama's cachet and Chicago roots may play a big role in securing the city as the host of the 2016 Olympics, according to Spain's International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior. But, he says, it will take more of a show of support than a simple photo op.

By mentioning the former leaders of Britain and Russia and linking them to the success of the bids for London 2012 and Sochi 2014, Samaranch made it clear that he believes it will take even Obama more than a photo and a couple of handshakes to get Chicago the Olympics.

At the IOC Assembly in Copenhagen on October 2 -- in the presence of Obama but also of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Spain's King Juan Carlos among others -- the 115 members of the committee will only be really moved by clear support for the bid, complete with full state backing and plenty of cash.

Source:
'Obama factor' might give Chicago Olympic edge
Mail & Guardian
May 5, 2009

Link: "IOC says Chicago 2016 bid is 'strong'"

Source:
IOC says Chicago 2016 bid is 'strong'
Mail & Guardian
April 8, 2009

World Cup May Serve as 'Catalyst' For Olympics in South Africa

Olympic Games officials have said that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa could serve as a catalyst for the country to host a future Olympics.

The 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa could act as a catalyst for a successful bid for the Olympics from the continent, Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said on Monday.

..."I believe that after South Africa has organised the World Cup there will probably be other candidatures from Africa and I'm convinced that with time in the medium term, maybe a decade, there will be a possibility."

Source:
World Cup could be catalyst for African Games
Independent Online
March 30, 2009

Recession Weighs Heavily as Hopeful Hosts Convene in Denver

Olympic planners and hopeful representatives of prospective future host cities are in Denver this week for a conference on international sporting events. The downturn in the economy is a major focus of the meetings, especially for London, where the recession's timing has been unfortunate for the city's 2012 preparations.

The recession forms the backdrop to the SportAccord convention and International Olympic Committee executive board meetings in Denver, the biggest gathering of international sports officials in the United States since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

More than 1,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference, which will feature key public presentations Wednesday by the four candidates for the 2016 Olympics -- Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. With six months to go before the Oct. 2 vote in Copenhagen, the cities are trying to position themselves as the most financially secure to cope with the downturn.

...

Despite the pressures, London organizers remain confident they will come within the overall 9.325 billion pound ($13.6 billion) budget for venues, infrastructure and regeneration. The figure is more than double the original estimate.

Source:
Recession forms backdrop of Olympic conference
Sports Illustrated
March 23, 2009