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Durban 2024/28?


baron-pierreIV

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I disagree, especially as Africa is the only Continent to have not Hosted the Olympics yet. Also, Durban is capable. They are the strongest City in Africa and has some Infrastructure from the 2010 Fifa World Cup, including the Football Stadium. 2028 does seem a realistic opportunity for Durban to Host.

Durban could use the 'First African Host', like Rio De Janeiro used the 'First South America Host' for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

The question with Durban isn't just whether or not they are capable. Do they WANT to host the Olympics? That seems like an easy question for us to talk about, but it takes a little more than infrastructure to host an Olympics. There has to be some desire in there.

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The question with Durban isn't just whether or not they are capable. Do they WANT to host the Olympics? That seems like an easy question for us to talk about, but it takes a little more than infrastructure to host an Olympics. There has to be some desire in there.

Isn't that the bottom line for many potential bids these days anyway? Munich, Rome, Oslo..all pretty much capable of hosting but with little, no or shrinking desire to do it.

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That seems like an easy question for us to talk about, but it takes a little more than infrastructure to host an Olympics. There has to be some desire in there.

That's right. All you need is a couple of venues nowadays & you're all set! :-/

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I suppose we had better get used to hearing the vuvuzelas again... By then, they'll probably be disallowed.

If pre-existing venues are in place, than I'd be all for it!.. That way, it's not such a burden on the host city.

After the 2010 World Cup, it just seemed to me that RSA or Africa for that matter still has a long way to go!

I realize the same could be said for a Brazil, but their WC was a successful one!

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I'd argue Durban isn't even the "strongest" city in RSA (whatever that means.)

Strongest = most likely to get elected as host. At least that's how I look at it. We can all argue whether or not that city actually is Durban, but being a bigger and more prominent city (i.e. Cape Town) doesn't make that city more electable. Particularly when we're talking about South Africa.

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But Durban has the best sports infrastructure already in place and has a workable climate. That makes them the logical choice.

Other cities, notably Cape Town have much better non-sports infrastructure and cachet. We can argue which elements are more important, which can more easily be built for the games, etc. not everyone will agree.

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Kings sports park is ok, but it's definitely not up to olympic standards. That's why Durban really needs the commonwealth games to beef up their sports infrastructure and international image. And what zekekelso said about the ambiance of the city also plays apart in getting the games

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Kings sports park is ok, but it's definitely not up to olympic standards. That's why Durban really needs the commonwealth games to beef up their sports infrastructure and international image. And what zekekelso said about the ambiance of the city also plays apart in getting the games

They don't need that. All they need is to play the Africa card.

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Other cities, notably Cape Town have much better non-sports infrastructure and cachet. We can argue which elements are more important, which can more easily be built for the games, etc. not everyone will agree.

That "everyone" meaning you? The general consensus is that Durban is the most pratical/logical choice for South Africa. Even the South Africans themselves have said that Durban makes the most sense. So who are we to question what they would seem to know what is best for them.

As far as the cachet goes, in this case, that would be "Africa". That alone would be enough to spark the international interest. Not to mention that the weather is the most ideal in the IOC's preferred July/Aug timeframe nowadays.

Kings sports park is ok, but it's definitely not up to olympic standards. That's why Durban really needs the commonwealth games to beef up their sports infrastructure and international image. And what zekekelso said about the ambiance of the city also plays apart in getting the games

Well, considering that some around here like to argue that having at least some venues already in place is a good thing, then I would say that the Kings Sports Precinct is more than just 'okay'.

Plus, as I already said above, the 'ambiance' of a city I believe plays more of a role when it pertains to cities in countries that have already played host to the Games. Many would favor New York over L.A. again if given the choice. When Beijing was planning to bid for the second time, many observers advised them to bid with Shanghai instead. Citing that it was much more cosmopolitan & much less political than Beijing. Needless to say, the Chinese didn't listen & went with the controversial capital again. Beijing went on to win 2008 by a landslide the second time around.

I see South Africa as being no different in this scenario. The draw here is more the 'continent of Africa' than the city itself, or anything else, for that matter. And if the South Africans believe that their best effort would be with Durban (for reasons already mentioned), vs Cape Town or Joburg, then I see the IOC embracing it just as easily.

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Of their 4 big cities, Durban is RSA's playground.

#1 - It has the most diverse population of RSA's big 4.

#2 - It has the most appropriate climate,

#3 - has an OLYMPIC stadium already ,

#4 - a lot of open land nearby for additional venues;

#5 - is poised for big growth;

#6 - the IOC knows it first-hand;

#7 - has TWO revolving restaurants; and

#8 - is RSA's biggest port -- thus providing for good berths for the many cruise ships that will be required to provide additional rooms.

Does Jo'burg or Cape Town have all of those combined? NO.

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They don't need that. All they need is to play the Africa card.

Just like Rio De Janeiro played the South America card, because I believe, if South America Hosted before 2016 and Rio De Janeiro Bid for 2016, Rio De Janeiro wouldn't have Hosted, because they weren't the strongest Bid. Tokyo might have Hosted. I know Tokyo wasn't the Runner-Up, but things might have turned out differently.

I think most of us can agree, that it's either Durban or Cape Town that's the strongest African City, I think Durban is. I think we will see a Durban Olympics before a Shanghai Olympics.

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They don't need that. All they need is to play the Africa card.

Just like Rio De Janeiro played the South America card, because I believe, if South America Hosted before 2016 and Rio De Janeiro Bid for 2016, Rio De Janeiro wouldn't have Hosted, because they weren't the strongest Bid. Tokyo might have Hosted. I know Tokyo wasn't the Runner-Up, but things might have turned out differently.

I think most of us can agree, that it's either Durban or Cape Town that's the strongest African City, I think Durban is. I think we will see a Durban Olympics before a Shanghai Olympics.

So did Rio not have that magic South America card when they bid in 2012 and failed to make the short list? Or in 2004 where a South American city did make the short list, but it wasn't them?

No, the Africa card alone will not land South Africa an Olympics just like it didn't do so for Rio. What earned them the win in 2016 was the right set of circumstances, not to mention their experience from hosting the Pan Am Games between the 2012 vote and the 2016 vote.

Durban (or Cape Town) winning a vote isn't just about them being in Africa. It has to be a good enough bid (certainly the standards for them to win are lower than for other cities), and the circumstances have to set themselves up in the right way. Is Durban a shoo-in to beat out the competition for 2024 should they bid? Absolutely not. They need to prove themselves worthy first. Doesn't necessarily need to be going the Rio route by hosting a Commonwealth Games, although that might help their cause.

If all they needed was to play the Africa card, they would have bid for 2020 and won it. But they didn't. When they're ready, they'll bid again. But their putting in a bid does not guarantee them a win simply because they're in Africa.

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If all they needed was to play the Africa card, they would have bid for 2020 and won it. But they didn't. When they're ready, they'll bid again. But their putting in a bid does not guarantee them a win simply because they're in Africa.

If Rogge was still in power, he would've moved heaven & earth to give it to Durban. I don't know if Bach feels as strongly about them as Rogge did -- altho I don't think it would be otherwise. It would make the IOC's dance card complete. But yes, luckily, Durban and the RSA are going about it cautiously and prudently and knowing when it will be right time for them to strike. Of course, it can't be an irresponsible bid.

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If Rogge was still in power, he would've moved heaven & earth to give it to Durban. I don't know if Bach feels as strongly about them as Rogge did -- altho I don't think it would be otherwise. It would make the IOC's dance card complete. But yes, luckily, Durban and the RSA are going about it cautiously and prudently and knowing when it will be right time for them to strike. Of course, it can't be an irresponsible bid.

Of course, while Rogge was President of the IOC for 12 years, and his time as a member and executive before that, he didn't do **** to get the games to Africa. Kinda hard to believe if he had only had one more year he would have "moved heaven and earth" after doing nothing for so long.

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If Rogge was still in power, he would've moved heaven & earth to give it to Durban. I don't know if Bach feels as strongly about them as Rogge did -- altho I don't think it would be otherwise. It would make the IOC's dance card complete. But yes, luckily, Durban and the RSA are going about it cautiously and prudently and knowing when it will be right time for them to strike. Of course, it can't be an irresponsible bid.

Except it doesn't work that way. You have to be in it to win it. And for all of Rogge's empty rhetoric about encouraging bids, all he and Bach and the like have the power to do is choose among the choices they are given. A lot of people thought South Africa was going to bid for 2020 following their successful World Cup. It didn't happen. Kudos to SASCOC for taking a more conservative approach here. Even still, I don't think that their being ready and putting together a responsible bid alone guarantees them victory. The Olympics going to Africa isn't simply about completing a checklist. It's about opening up an entire continent to the Olympics and to leave a legacy that will have a lasting benefit. They're going to go there with purpose, just like FIFA did. The IOC isn't going to go to Africa simply to say they've been there.

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Even still, I don't think that their being ready and putting together a responsible bid alone guarantees them victory. The Olympics going to Africa isn't simply about completing a checklist. It's about opening up an entire continent to the Olympics and to leave a legacy that will have a lasting benefit. They're going to go there with purpose, just like FIFA did. The IOC isn't going to go to Africa simply to say they've been there.

I think most (if not all) of the long-time members of these forums know this already. Of course the IOC isn't going to go to Africa simply to check them off. Baron is no dummy, & he's one of the very few members on here that's been overseeing these things for quite some time now.

No one on these boards (at least the sensible ones anyway) is saying that all South Africa has to do is present a bid & it's theirs for the taking. And it's something that ALWAYS comes up whenever South Africa is talked about here, & it's still perplexes me why, unless it's bcuz some people feel the need to still point out this obvious clause.

But at the same time, I believe it's quite naive to think that if South Africa does get all their pieces to the puzzle in check, that the IOC is simply going to pass up that opportunity simply bcuz there could be that possibility that they could.

All the compelling bids from the past two decades have won by a landslide. Beijing 2008, Rio 2016 & PyeongChang 2018. And I see South Africa as being no different when/if the time finally comes. It'd certainly be a milestone (if not 'the' milestone) in Olympic history to not see why the IOC would finally want to make that landmark of a decision.

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