Durban preferred to bid for 2036/2040 Olympics, Paralympics
SASCOC has named the city of Durban as the preferred host city to bid for 2036/2040 Olympic and Paralympic games.
THE City of Durban has been announced as the preferred city to bid for the 2036/2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the South African Sports Confederation Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) acting president Lwandile Simelane.
“Three cities put up their hand to be considered – Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Each of them brought its own vision, its own strength and a willingness to explore how South Africa could welcome the world.
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“I thank all three cities for the seriousness with which they approached the opportunity. As SASCOC, we had a responsibility to give each city a fair opportunity to put forward its case,” she said.
Simelane said that an independent evaluation panel, chaired by Ruben Reddy, was appointed to assess the process, proposals and to inform the selection of South Africa’s preferred city.
She said that this month the panel met with the cities, received their presentations and visited potential venues.
“Each city had the opportunity to explain its proposal, respond to questions and demonstrate how its facilities could support sports on the Olympic programme.
“These engagements enabled every city to be assessed independently against the guidelines relevant to the IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) future selection process. The IOC’s custodian of the games sets the framework within which our country’s proposal must be developed and evaluated,” said Simelane.
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The IOC confirmed that no interested parties will be considered for their interest in bidding for the 2036 Olympics after October 31 2026.
Next month, virtual presentations will be made by SASCOC to the IOC to start the official bidding process. A feasibility assessment would run through to March next year, before the IOC subsequently chooses a final host city for 2036, in mid-2029.
In 2017, Durban was stripped of hosting rights after failing to meet financial requirements after being originally awarded the Commonwealth Games for 2022.
The eThekwini Municipality has welcomed this milestone.
Spokesperson for the City, Senzelwe Mzila, said that Durban stands ready to showcase South Africa’s sporting excellence, inspire the next generation of global athletes, and unite the world on African soil.
“This is more than a sporting ambition. It is an opportunity to make history, celebrate Africa’s potential, and put our continent on the global sporting stage. The journey begins now,” he added.
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