Gayton McKenzie, Thomas Bach and Barry Hendriks/ Picture: Instagram
There is no question that 2024 has been a breakout year for South African sports, and it appears that the winning culture has gone to Mzansi’s heads as they have put forward a bid to host the 2036 Olympics.
Any country that has first-hand experience will attest to the difficulty of hosting the Olympics, especially when considering the logistics of it all. Subsequently, no African country has had the honour of hosting the 128-year-old competition, and if any country in the continent would stand up to have the honour of being the first, South Africa seems like an appropriate choice.
Although 2036 is 12 years away, the amount of planning and preparation that go into hosting an event of this calibre requires at least a few years. South Africa’s bid for 2036 has officially been lodged with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), marking mzansi as an interested party after minister Gayton McKenzie convened with the IOC’s IOC Member Anant Singh, honorary member Dr Sam Ramsamy and later, the IOC president Thomas Bach.
“We are at the start of an exciting new process that could lead to South Africa hosting the 2036 Olympic Games,” Minister McKenzie said.
South Africa launches historic bid to host the 2036 Olympics
South Africa has officially submitted its bid to host the 2036 Olympics, aiming to become the first African nation to ever host the Games. pic.twitter.com/uLPRagUTGL
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) November 30, 2024
Naturally, South Africans appear to be confident with their odds of being awarded the highly anticipated games as they believe that a city such as Durban, Cape Town or even Gqeberha would have the capacity and facilities to act as host cities. Thinking of the possibilities of hosting the Olympics brings back fond memories from the unforgettable 2010 FIFA World Cup that has remained engraved in the hearts and memories of all Africans who were present to witness history.
I never thought we’d have that soccer world cup feeling ever in our life time. These are great news
— WHICH COUNTRY IS THIS (@Gabhadiya190094) December 1, 2024
On the other hand, other users have voiced concerns about the state South Africa will be in by that time, as they cite the country’s current political climate. These users believe that hosting the Olympics could bring more harm than good to the republic.
Where will South Africa be in 2036? This country is heading to a wrong direction
— lesiba (@lesiba_mm) December 1, 2024
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