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As shown in the posts above, I never know how serious to take these reports about Durban financing. But the one below has cropped up in more than a few sources overnight, so I'm wondering if there's more credence this time. Dysan?

Is Durban about to lose the 2022 Commonwealth Games?The City of Ethekwini (Durban) is feared to be lagging behind after missing some deadlines in the preparations for hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Top of the list of areas the host city for the Games is sluggish in meeting is the appointment of a local organising committee (LOC) – a process which has failed to meet deadlines since January.

The steady pace of the coastal city is said to have raised an eyebrow at the London-based headquarters of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)‚ although no panic buttons have been swiftly pushed yet.

The federation’s committee will hold a meeting next week where it is believed that Durban will be on the agenda.

Although taking the Games away from the City of Ethekwini is not an immediate option‚ insiders indicate that Sri Lanka is already being suggested as Plan B.

SA sports minister Fikile Mbalula refused to answer any questions relating to the Games on Thursday.

“I am not going to comment on that‚” Mbalula told Times Media.

Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy was not available on his phone and did not return calls and messages sent to him.

Mark Alexander‚ who headed the bidding committee for the Games was not at liberty to comment.

“I am no longer involved‚” he said.

“My involvement ended with the bidding process. There was suppose to be an LOC that would continue the work. Unfortunately‚ I cannot comment.”

The city of Ethekwini denied any allegations of being behind any set deadlines.

“The City of Durban is well on track with preparations to host the Games‚” Ethekwini head of communications Tozi Mthethwa said.

Mthethwa did not give direct answers to some of the burning questions related to the delays‚ among them‚ the reasons behind Treasury reported reluctance to sign the Games' financial guarantees.

“As per eThekwini Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo’s reference to the Commonwealth Games during the tabling of the Budget Speech for 2016/2017 on 31 May 2016‚” said Mthethwa.

“The City has won the rights to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Games are expected to create jobs‚ boost the local economy and bring many benefits to the City over the longer term.

"Games will underpin the City’s growing reputation as an events capital of the continent and may act as a major boost towards achieving the ambitious visitor targets set in the Municipality’s Tourism Strategy leading up to 2022.

“More than 80 percent of the facilities for the Games already exist. The vast majority of all facilities including nine of the 10 core sports are within the 2.5 kilometre radius making travelling in and round the area easy and convenient.

"The most critical issue is to ensure that all structures are in place to manage the games by all three spheres of government and to implement the necessary infrastructure for the games.”

Times Live

And Sri Lanka is plan B? Seriously?????? :blink:

Edited by Sir Rols
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I don't think Sri Lanka is plan B. That's probably because they are the last 'losing' country for a bid for the Commowealth Games. A new regime is in power there (the last one was led by a person who was from Hambantota, so draw the conclusion there).

Sri Lanka was also stripped of the 2017 Asian Youth Games because of a lack of activity.

I think the CWG has much better options, maybe London or Toronto perhaps???

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Okay, it looks like that worry is over. Durban 2022 is on:

Treasury gives 2022 Commonwealth Games huge reprieve The City of eThekwini can now breathe a sigh of relief after their hosting of the 2022 Commonwealth Games was given a major boost with the finalisation of the finance guarantee for preparations for the event.

It had emerged earlier in the week that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had expressed some concern regarding South Africa's slow pace and noncommittal attitude towards hosting the event in six years time.

Chief among the concerns was that no financial guarantees could be secured from the eThekwini Municipality nor the KwaZulu Natal provincial government for the estimated R6.4-billion needed for the Games‚ therefore the onus lay on Minister Pravin Gordan's National Treasury to provide the guarantee.

Both the CGF and the City of eThekwini can now wipe the sweat off their brows and forget the suggestions of an alternative host nation for the Games. Sri Lanka was already rumoured to be the country the CFG would look to as a Plan B.

In a media statement issued on Saturday‚ Fikile Mbalula's sports ministry confirmed that National Treasury had signed on the dotted line‚ giving their full backing for the hosting of the Games in the KZN coastal city.

"We can now confirm that the processes relating to the finance guarantee have been finalised after due consideration of all factors by the Fiscal Liability Committee and the National Treasury as it is required by South African law‚" the statement read.

"The Minister of Finance (Gordan) has now signed the Finance Guarantee to the Commonwealth Games Federation.

"This has now paved the way for government to convene the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on the Games. The IMC that will be chaired by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa‚ will conclude the work of the bidding company and wind its affairs down and also constitute a hosting company that will act as a Local Organising Committee (LOC).

"The South African government‚ through the department of Sport as a lead department‚ remains committed to the hosting of these Games and remains confident that South Africa will deliver quality and highly successful Games."

Times Live

On another note I hope Dysan might be able to clarify - I'm pretty sure it will be branded as "Durban 2022" within the wider Commonwealth and the world. But, of course, Durban often gets the eThekwini rag internally. Any chance some of the branding will be referring to it as "eThekwini 2022"?

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seeyounexttuesday.jpg


On the subject of Durban, I'm always a little bit confused.

Is eThekwini a city, supercity, or just a municipal body.

I know Glasgow did have a Glaschew version of its logo, be interesting to see if they do something similar.

Or, if they go the route of Gold Coast and produce an alternate logo to be used on a national level (i.e.: the version of the Gold Coast logo which has *Queensland* as part of it)

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As shown in the posts above, I never know how serious to take these reports about Durban financing. But the one below has cropped up in more than a few sources overnight, so I'm wondering if there's more credence this time. Dysan?

And Sri Lanka is plan B? Seriously?????? :blink:

Typical media crap. The SA press love a bad news story. Yes treasury took a long time, but to have the news pop up a few days before they signed it off seems bit odd on their behaviour

Okay, it looks like that worry is over. Durban 2022 is on:

On another note I hope Dysan might be able to clarify - I'm pretty sure it will be branded as "Durban 2022" within the wider Commonwealth and the world. But, of course, Durban often gets the eThekwini rag internally. Any chance some of the branding will be referring to it as "eThekwini 2022"?

It will be Durban 2022. To clarify, the city is called Durban, the metropolitan region is called eThekwini. Hence we have one mayoral structure for the metro region, that is known as the eThekwini Municipality.

The metro is invested in growing brand Durban, so expect that to be centre stage

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  • 5 weeks later...

Typical media crap. The SA press love a bad news story. Yes treasury took a long time, but to have the news pop up a few days before they signed it off seems bit odd on their behaviour

It will be Durban 2022. To clarify, the city is called Durban, the metropolitan region is called eThekwini. Hence we have one mayoral structure for the metro region, that is known as the eThekwini Municipality.

The metro is invested in growing brand Durban, so expect that to be centre stage

Exactly the answer for the question i'm about to ask

You are my hero

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  • 3 months later...

 

Quote

 

Durban 2022 warned they risk losing Commonwealth Games unless they meet deadline

 

South Africa were today warned that they have less than two months to meet a series of conditions or Durban will be stripped of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Louise Martin told the General Assembly here that South African officials must fulfill its contractual obligations by November 30 or they will lose the event.

"We all remain committed to ensuring that Durban 2022 will be a great success," Martin told delegates.

"But South Africa needs to ensure they meet their commitments.

"We need to resolve the problem expediently."

Durban were awarded the Games at the CGF Assembly in September 2015 but have so far failed to sign the Host City contract, established an Organising Committee, confirmed underwriting arrangements or made any payments to the CGF. 

Martin cast serious doubts over whether any of the conditions would be met by the deadline.

"In the past two weeks we have received information from SASCOC and the South African Government that raises doubts in relation to their financial position and their ability to meet the commitments they made through the bid," she said. 

 

http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1042406/durban-2022-warned-they-risk-losing-commonwealth-games-unless-they-meet-deadline


 

 

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I guess only LA, Paris, Doha and Baku wants these big events now.  Even Durban is in danger of bowing out of CWG 2022.  Are we past the times of these mega-sports events?  Too much emphasis on BORING sports I say.  People are much more interested in the shows and ceremonies rather than the boring sports events.  

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1 hour ago, baron-pierreIV said:

I guess only LA, Paris, Doha and Baku wants these big events now.  Even Durban is in danger of bowing out of CWG 2022.  Are we past the times of these mega-sports events?  Too much emphasis on BORING sports I say.  People are much more interested in the shows and ceremonies rather than the boring sports events.  

Sure, baron.  Next you're going to tell us that people are much more interested in voting for Donald Trump rather than the boring Hillary Clinton :lol::P

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Well, if Durban does lose the 2022 CWG's, due to lack of commitment, then I'm not going to have much hope after that they'll commit to an Olympic Games thereafter. This was suppose to be their big test, & without it, it'll then become quite dubious. Perhaps Melbourne could then just come in & swoop that Southern Hemisphere slot.

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3 hours ago, FYI said:

Well, if Durban does lose the 2022 CWG's, due to lack of commitment, then I'm not going to have much hope after that they'll commit to an Olympic Games thereafter. This was suppose to be their big test, & without it, it'll then become quite dubious. Perhaps Melbourne could then just come in & swoop that Southern Hemisphere slot.

Will they award the CWG to Australia two times consecutively? As the 2018 edition will be in Gold Coast, Australia.

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4 hours ago, StefanMUC said:

I guess that was a reference to a potential Olympics in the Southern hemisphere, not CWG.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. If South Africa backs away from when they were planning on bidding (2032 they ultimately said), then I could see Australia with an early realistic chance, but that's if the next two Olympic Games are Paris 2024 & L.A. 2028 (cuz that would be two big areas out of the way for them), which could very well be. I also wouldn't see a big threat from Asia, either, since the IOC will probably be suffering from Asian fatigue after 2018/2020/2022.

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I just don't see Brisbane as being all that attractive. Other than the preferable weather in July/Aug, what else do they have really going for them. It's been well noted that they would require much more work up there, & with many cities around the world starting to get scared of taking on the burden & massive expense of the Olympics (& of course supposedly the IOC's own "agenda 2020"), then an Australian city thats so much better prepared would make the most sense. Plus, I think there was an article not too long ago that officials in Brisbane were starting to get cold feet on the idea.

It's been said that other than L.A., Melbourne is the next "already prepared for the Olympics" city that there is. Plus, Briabane is a city further down the Australian totem-pole, I find it akin to our Dallas or Houston. Okay cities in their own merit, but not really that excitable in the international arena. If L.A. can host only 40-44 years from their last (& second-time) hosting, then Melbourne can certainly host 76 years from their last (& only) time. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So Durban has been given a deadline but . . . what are the options if Durban doesn't come through? It's not there was a host of attractive candidates lining up for the 2022 CWGs. England has already said no. I can't see the CGF stripping Durban of the Games unless they have a solid replacement on hand. My guess is if they don't they probably give Durban another warning and extend the deadline.

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8 hours ago, stryker said:

So Durban has been given a deadline but . . . what are the options if Durban doesn't come through? It's not there was a host of attractive candidates lining up for the 2022 CWGs. England has already said no. I can't see the CGF stripping Durban of the Games unless they have a solid replacement on hand. My guess is if they don't they probably give Durban another warning and extend the deadline.

The executive board will ask for cities to come forward (and appoint one). Similar situation happened for the CYG for 2017 and Canada and Scotland showed initial interest. 

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