Following his re-election for a fourth term, Barry Hendricks, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), shared with SABC Sport that South Africa’s official bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games will begin in February.
The country aims to make history by becoming the first African nation to host the prestigious event, following the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. Hendricks expressed his optimism about the bid, highlighting strong government support for bringing the Games to Africa.
“The bid process will start in February, and that’s when we need to present our proposal to the cabinet for approval,” Hendricks said. “Remember, January will have local elections, so we need to focus the political leadership on the importance of this project early in the year and secure their backing.”
He noted that the idea of bidding for the Olympics was sparked by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach’s visit in October, during which Bach expressed support for Africa hosting the Games. Other countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Germany, have also shown interest in bidding.
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Hendricks explained that the current phase of the bid is a consultation process involving various stakeholders, including government officials, federations, and the President of South Africa.
South Africa had previously planned to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban but withdrew, with Birmingham stepping in as the host city. Despite this setback, Hendricks is confident that the country’s improved relationship with the government will help secure the Olympic Games.
“We have a much stronger relationship with the government now,” he explained. “The sports minister has shown full support for our efforts to bring the Olympics to South Africa. We’re all united in our goal.”
If the bid proceeds, Hendricks is confident that South Africa has the infrastructure and planning necessary to host such a large-scale event, including high-performance facilities at several universities across the country.