Six years down the track and cracks show

Alot has changed in the six years since Sascoc president Gideon Sam first expressed the country’s desire to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Back in June 2011 the world was a very different place.

Scientists were still searching for the Higgs Boson, Donald Trump hadn’t even entered politics yet and Chad le Clos was a promising teenage swimmer fresh out of high school.

Since then, stakeholders in the Durban Games have had a lot of time to consider the pros and cons and make a decision about whether it’s in the country’s best interests to host the event.

A delegation travelled to London in March 2015 to officially present Durban’s bid to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) executive committee, having seemingly made that decision and fully committed themselves to the Games.

The following month, members of the CGF executive visited Durban, and they were assured the coastal city would be a favourable option in the race for the hosting rights.

This was followed by two sets of visits which included representatives of all CGF member countries, and they too were assured by the bid committee that the quadrennial Games was entirely within the city’s means.

Existing infrastructure and venues within close proximity would keep costs and logistical issues at a minimum, and with an independent impact study projecting a potential R20 billion boost to the economy, the R6.4 billion budget made it an attractive proposal.

A large chunk of the budget was also set aside for athlete development, which would not only prepare athletes for the Games,

Wesley Bo on

but could play a key role in laying a much-needed foundation for grassroots participation in various sport codes.

Throughout this lengthy process, Durban seemed certain it had made the right choice, and it could have pulled the plug at any point if it was getting cold feet.

Just seven months before the official proposal was submitted, Edmonton did just that and made the decision to withdraw as the only opposition for financial reasons.

This left the door open for Durban to win an uncontested race, which they did without any un- expected hassles after ploughing around R100 million into the bid, becoming the first African city to earn the hosting rights.

It’s been 18 months since Durban won the bid, and despite committing to the Games long before that, there is still no certainty the coastal city will play host to the 2022 spectacle.

On the verge of losing the showpiece altogether, with Australia and England already putting up their hands as potential replacements should such an embarrassing scenario occur, the CGF is expected to make a decision within the next week.

Louise Martin, the head of the CGF executive, was in the country this week and her scheduled meetings reportedly included a discussion with President Jacob Zuma in a final attempt to save the Durban Games.

But Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula admits the increased budget has created a stumbling block, and it seems the shortfall remains elusive, with administrators and politicians failing to follow through with their commitment. Indeed, a lot has happened in our world over last six years.

Scientists have made huge strides in explaining the vast complexities of the universe, Donald Trump’s audacious bid to become the president of the United States paid off handsomely and Le Clos has established his place as South Africa’s most decorated Olympian.

In all this time, however, Durban has still not signed the hosting rights agreement, there is still no local organising committee, and the 2022 Games is as much a pipe dream at this stage as it was when Sam first introduced the idea. No matter how much things may change, it seems some things will unfortunately always stay the same.