Cape Town Olympic bid “premature” 23/07/2010 |
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Cape Town is not ready to make a bid for the 2020 Olympics, a leading official has claimed.
South Africa's Olympic governing body announced last week it would formally oversee a bid for the 2020 Games after the country’s successful hosting of the World Cup and encouraged potential host cities to come forward.
But Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for economic development Felicity Purchase said: "I don't want to be negative, but I don't think in the short term we are ready yet to make an Olympic bid. We will be looking at that, and have a committee that will [consider the issue] shortly. But to be quite honest with you, I think it is premature.
"The Olympic Games would be fantastic. The reality of it is that we are not there yet.
"People that have hosted these big events say that the return on the investment is far greater for small events [held] in a regular sustainable way than for a mega-event. Yes, you achieve a lot, and there's a lot of legacy that comes with it.
"And that is the benefit of the [football] World Cup for us. But realistically, can we afford it, having to deliver all those things that are required for an Olympics, now? I can honestly say, I don't think so.”
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