Durban’s bid to host Africa’s first Commonwealth Games has gained increased momentum with the visit of a five-strong evaluation committee, who by all accounts found the city suitable to stage the multi-sport event in 2022.
The four-day visit from the Commonwealth Games Federation’s commission focused on analysing the detailed technical aspects of the bid, meeting Durban’s bid committee, the government and city partners, as well as inspecting the various proposed sports venues and facilities.
Providing feedback on their visit, chairwoman of the evaluation commission, Louise Martin, said they had been “inspired by the prospect and potential” of Durban’s bid.
“We’ve had a really good welcome and some very successful meetings, and as a movement we cannot fail to be excited by the prospect of a first Commonwealth Games on African soil. A Games that seeks to engage, empower and benefit citizens and communities through the power of sport. We warmly welcome the Durban bid and congratulate their team on their progress so far.”
The next step will be for the commission to prepare an evaluation report that will be presented to all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealh Games Federation membership no later than one month before the General Assembly in New Zealand on September 2.
“We leave Durban with a clear sense of opportunity – a deeper understanding of how they will optimise their plans and maximise the opportunities for young people, sport, business and communities from hosting Africa’s first Commonwealth Games,” Martin commented. “The alignment of the bid with the country’s National Development Plan and the province’s ambitions for youth engagement is particularly powerful.”
Durban is the sole bidder for the 2022 Games after Canadian city Edmonton withdrew from the race, and while Martin wouldn’t go so far as to say it was a fait accompli that Durban would emerge as the host city, she admitted they weren’t looking any further at this stage.
“We still have to go through the full process, we have to evaluate and ensure that Durban’s final presentation to the general assembly is absolutely top notch because it still has to be voted on. We will leave nothing to chance and we will really scrutinise this bid.
“However, I’m not expecting that there’ll be any reason that Durban doesn’t meet the standards we require,” Martin added. “We don’t want that to happen, so we’re determined to make sure that when we get to the final evaluation, everything is up to standard.
“Hypothetically, if there were any problems then we would just do some more work to get it right. There is no alternate bid and we’re not even considering that at the moment.”
CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation, David Grevemberg, said they were in fact viewing it as a positive that Durban was the sole bidder.
“This isn’t the first time that the Commonwealth Games has faced just a single bid and gone on to host a very successful Games. Manchester is just one example of a Games that left a tremendous legacy. It’s not just about winning the bid; it is how the bid is won. We have the opportunity now with a single bid proposition to develop this relationship with Durban and work in partnership at an early stage to ensure we can hit the ground running.”
In this regard, Grevemberg said their visit to Durban had been highly productive.
“Games are not achieved without people and partnerships, and this is the most fantastic opportunity right now to understand Durban and South Africa, the opportunities and challenges, but more importantly to work together to optimise the opportunities we have. This evaluation is all about getting underneath the sights, assets and services that can be delivered, and how we can create a compelling narrative to drive a fantastic Games in 2022.”
Durban bid chairman, Mark Alexander, said the visit from the evaluation committee had been all about getting down to the “nuts and bolts” of Durban’s bid and demonstrating the city’s ability to host the Games.
“Our mission is to deliver world class venues, facilities, infrastructure and transport for the Games, on time, within budget and to leave a legacy for future generations.”
Tubby Reddy, CEO of the Durban bid committee, said they also aimed to present a unique model for future Games.
“Our concept of a compact Games means that many of the sporting events will be held within a 2.5km precinct of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which will be the main focus of the Games.”
Alexander added: “We want to showcase Africa, and Durban in particular. We’ve hosted big events before, and there’s nothing stopping us from doing it again.