GamesBids.com: Sports Experts Want Olympics In Africa Next 25 Years

Sports Experts Want Olympics In Africa Next 25 Years
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GB Staff on Friday, February 2, 2007  12:00am EST
 
A new survey of international sports experts conducted by TSE Consulting between
January 25 and 29 shows that the Olympic Games should take place in Africa
within the next 25 years.
Respondents of the survey included a panel of 80 international sports experts
comprising presidents of National Olympic Committees, top executives of
International Sports Federations, international sports journalists and some of
the most influential people in the world of international sport.
The panel concluded the Olympic Games should be hosted on the African continent
within the next 25 years.  Seventy Five per cent of those asked believed that
the Games should be awarded to an African city by 2032.
But respondents did not believe that the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
should institute a system of continental rotation for the Games as FIFA did with
the World Cup.  Eighty four per cent were against the IOC introducing any system
of continental rotation.
Ninety one per cent felt that the 2014 Commonwealth Games should not be awarded
to Abuja Nigeria solely to have the first Commonwealth Games in Africa, but
should be awarded to the best bid between Glasgow, Halifax and Abuja as the
event is “too big to be subject to political correctness and experiments”.
While Ninety one per cent felt that the hosting of major international sporting
events would dramatically improve Africa’s image around the world, 44 per cent
felt that lack of political stability and security was the main obstacle
currently delaying the awarding of more major events to the continent.
Seventy two per cent of respondents felt that it was appropriate for African
countries to invest in attracting major sporting events despite the social needs
within their own countries, as they felt that these events themselves can have a
strong economic impact and can play a major part in driving education and other
reforms within a country.