Durban 2022.

[Alexjc]

We do need what is our frontline Durban member here, Durban Sandshark aka Mo Rush.

Yes it's very early days and I gotta feeling the SA Government is about to go through some change as well.

Like many older members here, I thought Cape Town, Pretoria or Port Elizabeth would be a preferred choice and save Durban for the grand slam.

[thatsnotmypuppy]

It's all about rotation. Africa hasn't Hosted a Commonwealth Games or an Olympic Games.

As much as it kills me to respond to you...

They haven't hosted because they haven't submitted a strong enough bid. The CGF/IOC does not owe Africa a Games.

As for rotation - bullsh*t kiddo. I've been following bids in a professional and personal capacity for decades and rotation means sweet f*ck all. If the CGF cared about any rotation we'd see Abuja hosting later this year. Bottom line is whoever offers the stronger message and more solid bid plan will win - especially after the 2010 fiasco. Durban is a risk - and the fact that they have low local support could be an issue.

[baron-pierreIV]

KRAKOW!!

[dysan1]

Most places have low local support for this kind of event period. It takes time to build it. These bids are on the national agenda.

And as an aside. Please forget Cape Town. If SA is to bid for Commies and Summer Olympics over next 20 years it will only be with Durban. Period.

[Lord David]

I disagree. It might be Durban at first, but if they fail in their first Olympic bid, I wouldn't be surprised if SA attempted with Cape Town again. Perhaps going back and forth to see which one eventually wins.

[Alexjc]

KRAKOW!!

"GET LOST!!"

[stryker]

I find a Durban bid for the Commonwealth Games a bit perplexing especially since it was just a few months ago there was an article about South Africa wanting to go for the big fish in the pond, the Olympics. I understand wanting to gain more hosting experience but how much would a Commonwealth Games actually benefit Durban or any South African city for that matter? The Games would be held in 2022 and even if South Africa sat out the race for the 2024 Olympics and aimed for 2028, the decision for 2028 would still be a year before 2022 so it's not like Durban could tout hosting the Commonwealth Games as a successful venture (though 'm sure they'd pull it off). The only benefit I see is that some of the infrastructure for a future Olympic bid could be completed for the Commonwealth Games.

[baron-pierreIV]

I find a Durban bid for the Commonwealth Games a bit perplexing especially since it was just a few months ago there was an article about South Africa wanting to go for the big fish in the pond, the Olympics. I understand wanting to gain more hosting experience but how much would a Commonwealth Games actually benefit Durban or any South African city for that matter? The Games would be held in 2022 and even if South Africa sat out the race for the 2024 Olympics and aimed for 2028, the decision for 2028 would still be a year before 2022 so it's not like Durban could tout hosting the Commonwealth Games as a successful venture (though 'm sure they'd pull it off). The only benefit I see is that some of the infrastructure for a future Olympic bid could be completed for the Commonwealth Games.

It amortizes the cost of venues, etc., i.e., they're being used majorly more than one time...and perhaps will give RSA athletes the favorable 'home-field' advantage.

[Tony E Loves Architecture]

If these organisations keep banging on about rotation, like the IOC only chose Rio because of the first South American Olympics, the CGF should choose Durban for the first African Commonwealth Games.

[StefanMUC]

The term "rotation" is not related to "first time hosting".

Rotation is rather a regular pattern of moving from one continent to another.

[Alexjc]

Annoyingly the CWGs have been stuck with a rotational format due to necessity rather than format, simply because very few nations in the Commonwealth can afford to host them over time. For years it has worked a four nation circuit and only been broken by 3 others and the most recent of those eended up a disaster both financially and image wise.

Yes Durban is more risky than Edmonton, but at least, if it does get behind it eventually, South Africa has proven it can host the biggest sports events. It will probably host the IRB RWC the following year as well.

[dysan1]

Lord David... A few things... Try convince government and the people of Cape Town to build another stadium ad entire sports precinct from scratch when they already constantly moan about their stadium being the least used post 2010. That will be beyond unpopular.

Secondly, please fix the Cape Town winter.

thirdly. The governing party does not and will never control the Cape region, hence will rarely consider giving the prize event to a region where the opposition will get all the glory.

Finally, when you have a city like Durban that is basically designed for an Olympics, you are stupid to go replicate that in a city that has none of that.

[Tony E Loves Architecture]

Durban Stadium would be such an iconic setting for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games.

[thatsnotmypuppy]

The sky is blue sometimes and water is wet!

[Alexjc]

Durban Stadium would be such an iconic setting for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games.

Chrissakes man! This is the reason why everyone thinks you are a spammer rolling for a high post total...Of Course the venue would make a great setting....

[runningrings]

[Olympic Fan Darcy]

I have an idea. Why doesn't everyone just report Tony's stupid posts (the majority of his posts are stupid) and then with so many people reporting he should get permanently banned and we no longer have to deal with with the stupid, inane comments.

[Tony E Loves Architecture]

I have an idea. Why doesn't everyone just report Tony's stupid posts (the majority of his posts are stupid) and then with so many people reporting he should get permanently banned and we no longer have to deal with with the stupid, inane comments.

Oh that's right. Gang up. Ignore.

[Sir Rols]

Tony, you are veering back into the excessive posting zone - with little real content or comment - again. Can't you just settle down again? You were doing better for a while.

Anyway, something to report. Gideon Sam on the Durban bid - an a bit of explanation of the CGF "it's for Africa" moves. About time - I;d sent Paul Osborne all the links to the CGF biding during the baton's African sweep and suggested he follow up. Guess he just took his time:

It's Africa's turn to host Commonwealth Games, insists SASCOC chief

April 10 - It is Africa's turn to host the Commonwealth Games following Durban's expression of interest to stage the event in 2022, it has been claimed by Gideon Sam, President of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

Speaking exclusively to insidethegames, Sam claimed, after being to so many other countries, it was now time for Africa to be given the opportunity, claiming the infrastructure was already in place to handle such a large event, thanks to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"When the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) talked about not having bidders, we thought maybe as things stand, it is probably Africa's time," he said.

"And in that context we put up our hand and can now see that Edmonton have done the same, but we believe that we just need to carry on and if there is any honesty in the world it is Africa's time.

"It's been to Canada, it's been to Australia, it's been to England, it's been to Scotland, it's been to Asia but it's never been to Africa.

"And we believe that it is our time.

"We have the infrastructure.

"[The World Cup] 2010 helped us a lot.

"If you look at Durban, the stadium is in place, the swimming pool is in place, the athletics track is in place, which will of course be in the Moses Mabhida Stadium, the International Cricket Club is big enough.

"We will follow the same trend as London and use all these exhibition centres for the indoor sports.

"So we are asking ourselves, 'What else?'

"We will go to the developers because they are very keen to develop in Durban, find a piece of land and let them develop an Athletes' Village which afterwards will be sold because there is a huge demand for accommodation in Durban.

"So we've looked at all this.

"I don't know what else.

"Our roads are good.

"Railway lines are good, telecoms are good.

"We're almost there you know."

Sam claimed that, with concerns over who was going to bid for the 2022 Games following "very thin" interest from member federations, it was only after South Africa's Government supported Durban's case that they could move forward with a bid for the competition.

"I sit on the CGF and we were quite concerned on who's going to bid because after Sri Lanka and the Gold Coast we were very thin in terms of who's going to bid," he said.

But Sam admitted that he nearly encouraged Nigeria to bid again, with the capital Abuja having lost out to Glasgow to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"Well I held out until the last moment because I kept saying to my fellow executive members, 'Guys, I don't think we're going to put up our hand if the Government isn't giving us the go-ahead'," said Sam.

"Then, fortunately for us, the ball started rolling when our High Commissioner in London called [CGF chief executive] Mike Hooper, or Mike called him, and he then put the pressure on the Minister back home and the Minister said we're in.

"So it's last minute really because I was at the point of saying, 'Guys maybe as a goodwill gesture let's go and assist Nigeria to put up a good bid'.

"But then people said, 'Why you want to go to Nigeria', and I said, 'well it's one of the continent's big economies, why not?'

"If we're not going to bid, if the Government is not going to put up its end, I think there are enough people in South Africa who have been closely aligned with the Commonwealth Games ever since we got back in 1994 to know what goes on inside the Commonwealth Games.

"We might as well go and assist Nigeria in putting together a far better bid than they have in the past."

Following the backing of the Government, Sam insisted that South Africa, and more specifically Durban, deserved to host the event, and that after staging other major events in previous years, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the International Olympic Committee (IOC0 Session in 2011, it was not just a case of sympathy that the CGF would award the hosting rights to the African nation.

"You must also remember that you can't just give it," he said.

"You have to earn your stripes.

"There must be something you have done on the bigger scale.

"I mean anyone can ask us in South Africa, what have you done?

"We've done the World Cup in rugby], we've done cricket, and we've done big events on the environment.

"You know it, its huge events that we've done in South Africa.

"It's not a question of, 'Oh what a shame let's give it to them'.

"No, no, no.

"At least show proof that you've done A,B, C, D and get to that level.

"And I mean with the International Olympic Committee Session that we had, people were saying, 'Guys why don't you bid why don't you want it'.

"Not really wanting to blow our own trumpet but people have seen what we're capable of.

"I mean, it was not a shabby IOC Session, it was top of the draw."

insidethegames

[baron-pierreIV]

/\/\ Interesting article, Rols. It looks like they are heeding the Continent's need first and if that puts the Olympics on the backburner for awhile, it may then open up 2024 for a US v. Paris fight...in which case, I think Paris would get it.

[Sir Rols]

/\/\ Interesting article, Rols. It looks like they are heeding the Continent's need first and if that puts the Olympics on the backburner for awhile, it may then open up 2024 for a US v. Paris fight...in which case, I think Paris would get it.

One thing that's always re-assured me with the South Africans is they do seem to approach it responsibly - even if it's a bit slow for some tastes.

BTW, I laughed at the Nigeria quotes: "People said, 'Why you want to go to Nigeria?".

Edited April 10, 2014 by Sir Rols

[Alexjc]

Oh that's right. Gang up. Ignore.

That's a potential pisstake meme right there!

[dysan1]

And the City is listening and already implementing infrastructure changes. alot are tourist focused, but some nuggets to confirm other changes I have mentioned. Edited for content focus.

Boost planned for Durban beachfront

April 7 2014 at 03:29pm
By Bronwyn Fourie

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Durban - Durban is set to undergo a massive image-change with plans to develop a giant theme and water park, overhaul the cruise terminal and transform the main beaches into Miami-style tourist hubs.

Naledi Moyo-Ndwandwe, the deputy city manager for sustainable development and city enterprises, said in an interview with The Mercury that the city was working with local and international partners to fund the developments.

Current and immediate projects would be completed by 2016; the second phase would continue until 2019. The uShaka development should be completed by 2025. The city is working on land issues and rezoning and building plans for a sports academy in the Moses Mabhida precinct.

“The vision is part of a 50-year plan for Durban and will be done in phases. We are positive and excited about these infrastructure plans. We are laying the foundation of a 50-year-plan,” she said.

The municipality revealed it was searching for Durban’s “wow” factor and a “real image” to attract tourists....“We want to have a whole package on offer. We want to be the destination for families. We want our tourism concept to be one of relaxation and sport.”

Sporting tourism and the construction of the sports academy would be a major focus. “We need to improve the swimming pool and transport at Moses Mabhida, and make the precinct more pedestrian-friendly. It needs to be all about lifestyle and sport.”

There were also plans to clean up the Warwick Triangle precinct, the domino effect of which would be to improve the Berea, Umbilo and Glenwood areas.

Vendors would be taken off the streets and moved to buildings with African markets.

“We want to get rid of crime and bring back the tourist footprint. We want to introduce African-style trading, as well as feature African fashion and African shebeens.

“We also plan to create a student accommodation village, including universities and private colleges. Universities have the biggest international exchange programmes, but we don’t leverage on that.”

.....

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/boost-planned-for-durban-beachfront-1.1672370

[baron-pierreIV]

/\/\ Looking good. Foresight and long-range planning -- that's the secret!! Good luck, Durban!!

[Athensfan]

A 50 year plan leaves the realization of these goals a bit far off. I'm not saying it isn't worth doing, but if they're going to land Olympics, they're going to need to show some progress sooner rather than later.