JOHANNESBURG.- South Africa has the “intention” of “running as a candidate to organize the Olympics and Paralympics“2036 or 2040, indicated this Thursday the minister of the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheniwithout specifying the name of the eventual host city.
First country on the continent to have organized the World football, in 2010, South Africa will open a “continuing dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), now chaired by the Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry.
This is a “preliminary and exploratory commitment,” Ntshavheni explained during a press conference.
Cape Town bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games, which were eventually held in Athens after a vote in 1997.
“The government is convinced that South Africa is ready and capable of hosting the Olympic Games, given the level of infrastructure it has and the fact that the investments required to improve it are not significant,” declared the minister.
During a visit to the country in October 2024, former IOC President, Thomas Bachconsidered that South Africa had “the stability, infrastructure and vision to host the Olympic Games.”
Next year Dakar will be the first city on the African continent to organize the Youth Olympic Games, from October 31 to November 14, 2026.
The next Summer Olympics, in 2028, will be held in Los Angeles and the next one, in 2032, has been assigned to Brisbane, Australia.
In full offensive in the sporting field, South Africa is a candidate to organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix at its historic Kyalami circuit, near Johannesburg, starting in 2027.
The continent’s largest economy will also be the main host country for the men’s cricket World Cup in 2027, which will also be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Mancini is appointed as the new coach of Al-Sadd
Roberto Mancini, former coach of Italy and Saudi Arabia, committed to Al-Sadd for two and a half years, the current Qatari champion announced on their social networks this Thursday.
The 60-year-old Italian coach, European champion with the “Azzura” in 2021, was free of contract since his dismissal as Saudi Arabia coach in October 2024.
Mancini had taken the reins of “Los Halcones Verdes” in August 2023, but did not achieve the expected results with the Asian team. In 18 games under him they achieved seven wins, five draws and lost six games.
