Cape Town - South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive committee member Sam Ramsamy has said the country is “readying” a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.
“I think Africa is ready to host an Olympics,” Ramsamy said on Monday, according to the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
“As South Africa, we are readying to bid for the 2024 Games and with the IOC putting up measures to make the bidding process simpler (in Agenda 2020, to be discussed and potentially approved next week), then we and Africa in general have a very good chance of earning that opportunity.”
An African city has never hosted an Olympics. The most recent bid from the continent was by Cape Town for the 2004 Olympics, which were won by Athens in 1997. Cape Town was third in voting.
A specific 2024 South African bid city was not in the AIPS report on Monday.
The IOC will vote to decide the 2024 Olympic host city in 2017.
Should SA decide to go ahead with a bid, they are likely to face stiff opposition from one of four USA cities - Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC, as well as a German city, Paris, Rome, Doha and Baku.
Durban is expected to vie for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“I think Africa is ready to host an Olympics,” Ramsamy said on Monday, according to the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
“As South Africa, we are readying to bid for the 2024 Games and with the IOC putting up measures to make the bidding process simpler (in Agenda 2020, to be discussed and potentially approved next week), then we and Africa in general have a very good chance of earning that opportunity.”
An African city has never hosted an Olympics. The most recent bid from the continent was by Cape Town for the 2004 Olympics, which were won by Athens in 1997. Cape Town was third in voting.
A specific 2024 South African bid city was not in the AIPS report on Monday.
The IOC will vote to decide the 2024 Olympic host city in 2017.
Should SA decide to go ahead with a bid, they are likely to face stiff opposition from one of four USA cities - Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC, as well as a German city, Paris, Rome, Doha and Baku.
Durban is expected to vie for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.