PREVIEW
ANOCA head says the state is determined to become the first country on the continent to host the Games
Egypt will bid to host the 2036 and 2040 Summer Olympics, says Mustapha Berraf, the Algerian head of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), following a fortnight of mixed athletic success in Paris for the continent.
The continent has never staged an Olympic Games and Cairo last made an unsuccessful bid for the Olympics in 2008. The Games will head to Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032, increasing the chances of them being awarded to an Asian or African country after that.
African nations had mixed success in Paris. Although Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won a surprise gold in the men’s 200 metres – prompting President Mokgweetsi Masisi to declare a public holiday – only 12 African countries made it onto the medals table. Kenya’s tally of 11 medals, including four gold, led the continent, while Egypt’s three medals and one gold, ranked them 52nd in the table.
Egypt and South Africa – which hosted the 2012 World Cup – are best placed in terms of existing sporting infrastructure to host the Games.
‘Africa has the chance of organizing the Games. It will most likely organise the Games in 2040,’ said Berraf, who is also an International Olympic Committee member.
‘There is a need to look at infrastructure issues such as roads and airports. Egypt has important infrastructure potential,’ he added.
Despite hosting one of the cheapest Games in recent history, Paris still spent US$4.5 billion on infrastructure, as part of between $10-11bn in estimated spending, significantly higher than the $8bn initially budgeted for, though this was well below the 352% and 130% cost overruns incurred by Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo respectively.
However, hosting the Olympics carries far more financial risk for organisers than football’s Blue Riband event. Tokyo’s delayed Summer Games generated $5.8bn in revenue and $13bn in costs, and there is little evidence that increased tourist revenue does much to offset the costs.
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