(ATR) The South African NOC tells Around the Rings it has yet to discuss whether the country will bid for the 2024 Olympics.
"We have not had any discussion on bidding for the Olympic Games 2024," Tubby Reddy, chief executive of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, told ATR on Monday.
Reddy insisted the lack of substantive talks about a possible bid did not mean South Africa would not enter the race for the Games. Last week Boston joined Rome and Berlin/ Hamburg as confirmed bidders for the 2024 Olympics.
But with the other cities well advanced in their Olympic quests, South Africa’s tilt at securing the Games seems less and less likely.
The IOC’s invitational phase for the 2024 Games opens Jan. 15.
"We will decide at an appropriate time when we get the information [from the IOC]," Reddy said.
In December, IOC member Sam Ramsamy told the International /Sports Press Assocation at the FINA World Aquatics Convention in Doha that his country was "readying to bid for the 2024 Games", although SASCOC's leaders are not talking about it in such terms.
SASCOC president Gideon Sam told ATR last month that "the intention is there". The Olympic committee is waiting for South African president Jacob Zuma to back a bid for the Olympics but so far no commitment has come. A 2028 Olympic bid may be seen as a more realistic goal.
Winning Durban’s 2022 Commonwealth Games bid is the main focus. Edmonton, Canada is the other bidder, with the decision due in September.
But South African sports leaders also believe the time is right for the Olympics to come to Africa for the first time.
SASCOC believes Durban's 2022 bid would provide a building block of infrastructure for the IOC's showpiece, if the government decides to green-light a bid.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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