COSUA in favour of South Africa making bid for 2020 Olympic Games
In a recent announcement by the Coalition of Supporters Union of Africa (COSUA), it has been revealed that the organization will stand behind South Africa if it chooses to bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.
The bid will be a key topic of discussion in the COSUA Delegates Conference that is scheduled to take place later in July. According to the president of the COSUA, Sarfo Abrebrese, the discussions will revolve around gathering support for the city of Durban
in the event that it chooses to bid for the international sporting event.
Initially, the government of South Africa had announced in May that it would not lend its support for a bid to host the 2020 Olympics and plans to concentrate on the provision of services to South Africans.
However, the Sports Minister of the country, Fikile Mbalula, made the following statement concerning the proposition to bid for the 2020 Olympics: "We are not closing any doors, all doors are open. The possibilities are there and from the sports ministry
and the sports fraternity in SA, we have always said that we are quite keen to reopen talks on this matter, noting that this is a decision of government.”
The COSUA plans to urge the South African government by asking the African Union to make the case for reconsideration of making the bid. COSUA is a union that aims to create awareness and generate interest among the local population of African countries
about international sporting events. It played an integral part in mobilizing support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that was successfully staged in South Africa.
According to Mbalula, there are hopes that the government of South Africa would reconsider its decision to bid for the 2020 Olympics event now that Durban is experiencing a vast amount of both local as well as international support for the cause. Mbalula
also added that the country may look to make the bid for the 2024 Olympic Games if the 2020 bid does not happen.
Other than that, Mbalula has also stated that an Olympics event is far cheaper to put up than the FIFA that Durban has successfully hosted. Whether the South African government will revise its decision remains to be seen.
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