Felicitations – and fears

I HAVE travelled to some of the world’s cosmopolitan cities, including London, Kuala Lamphur, Rio de Janeirio, Hong Kong and Singapore, but have always fiercely insisted that Durban can hold its own with the best.

So it came as no surprise when we won the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

While my felicitations are sincere, certain issues have arrested my celebratory mood. We must not forget that this award comes on the back of a million dollar Fifa scandal, with SA at the nucleus of an FBI investigation.

A lot of agents, consultants and middlemen will want to dip their beaks into the stew, diminishing it significantly.

SA has a history of poor stadium attendance. So how do we woo fans who have no interest in sports codes besides soccer? Are school children going to be bussed in to boost dwindling crowds?

Logistical constraints of Herculean proportions lie ahead, and once the euphoria has percolated, the city fathers need to move forward with precision and integrity and deliver a world-class event.

KEVIN GOVENDER Shallcross