PRETORIA July 12 (Reuters) - South Africa is basking in the
glory of successfully staging the first World Cup on African
soil but the country's thoughts have already shifted to another
top sports event -- the Olympic Games.
With rumours spreading fast that the coastal city of Durban
is seriously considering bidding for the 2020 summer Olympics,
South Africa may be gearing up for a battle that is much harder
to win than the right to stage a World Cup.
The Olympics are the biggest multi-sports event in the world
and while the World Cup may test a country's operational
strength with several cities involved in the staging of the
matches, the Olympics, held in one city alone, can sap its
energy and drain its financial resources.
It is the equivalent of staging 28 world championships with
the top athletes of each sport, simultaneously, within just a
few miles of each other.
"The World Cup is one of the two great sporting events in
the world along with the Olympics, and I am quite certain that
every member of the International Olympic Committee has been
looking at the matches from South Africa and seen the enthusiasm
and the excitement," IOC Executive Board member Craig Reedie
told Reuters.
"I would suspect they would not be surprised at all if a bid
came from the South African Olympic Committee for a future
Games, be it 2020 or 2024... I think the decision to go south of
the equator for the first time would be a natural encouragement
for South Africa," he said.
GOVERNMENT BACKING
� Continued...
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glory of successfully staging the first World Cup on African
soil but the country's thoughts have already shifted to another
top sports event -- the Olympic Games.
With rumours spreading fast that the coastal city of Durban
is seriously considering bidding for the 2020 summer Olympics,
South Africa may be gearing up for a battle that is much harder
to win than the right to stage a World Cup.
The Olympics are the biggest multi-sports event in the world
and while the World Cup may test a country's operational
strength with several cities involved in the staging of the
matches, the Olympics, held in one city alone, can sap its
energy and drain its financial resources.
It is the equivalent of staging 28 world championships with
the top athletes of each sport, simultaneously, within just a
few miles of each other.
"The World Cup is one of the two great sporting events in
the world along with the Olympics, and I am quite certain that
every member of the International Olympic Committee has been
looking at the matches from South Africa and seen the enthusiasm
and the excitement," IOC Executive Board member Craig Reedie
told Reuters.
"I would suspect they would not be surprised at all if a bid
came from the South African Olympic Committee for a future
Games, be it 2020 or 2024... I think the decision to go south of
the equator for the first time would be a natural encouragement
for South Africa," he said.
GOVERNMENT BACKING
� Continued...
The relations between First Quantum and the Democratic Republic of Congo have gone from bad to worse in recent months, after the country expropriated the miner’s $765 million Kolwezi copper tailings project in September. � Blog�
When some of the most influential figures in emerging markets finance spoke to a group of Reuters editors, they were asked about top picks for growth beyond the so-called BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China.� Blog�
The giggles started when the seventh journalist in a row said that his question was for Egypt’s water and irrigation minister, Mohamed Nasreddin Allam.� Blog�
It has debt levels to die for and huge amounts of oil, but economically it’s lagging and political concerns remain. Speakers at a Libyan trade and investment forum this week saw the North African country as a mixed bag.� Blog�
If Guinea can pull off free and fair elections this weekend, it will lay the foundations for what could be one of Africa’s most unexpected and significant good news stories.� Blog�
Africa is providing a lot of fine material for the London theatre these days.� Blog�
