African Olympic Chief Predicts Unity for Future African Bid

(ATR) Lassana Palenfo, president of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, tells Around the Rings that the continent will backa bid from whichever city in Africaseeksthe2024 Olympics.

Palenfo, also an IOC member from Cote d’Ivoire, says "One thing remains certain. Any African country that bids to host the Olympic Games shall enjoy the support of the whole of Africa, and it shall automatically be the African bid."

He exercised caution when predicting whether an African city would definitely bid for the 2024 Games.

"Africa has countries that are capable of bidding, but without being pessimistic, I do not think their economic situations would allow them to do so at the moment, because Olympic Games are expensive to host and require infrastructures" Palenfo says.

"In my humble opinion, we should take things step by step, because the slower you go, the safer for you."

The most likely country, South Africa, started a bid for the 2020 Olympics but the federal government declined to support the bid in May, ending Olympic aspirations for the moment. Palenfo said he was disappointed the bid did not go through but that he understood why it didn’t.

"It is unfortunate that South Africa withdrew from the race to host the 2020 Olympic Games, but I think that after having hosted the 2010 World Cup, they need some time to recover."

If the Olympics are out of reach for the moment, Palenfo says the Youth Olympics are not.

"We could start by bidding for the hosting of the Youth Olympic Games, which are very much within our reach."

Morocco hosted the inaugural African Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Morocco, Egypt and Kenya have expressed interest in bidding for the Games as well.

Palenfo is ANOCA chief until 2013, giving him two moreyears to champion an African Olympic bid -- now increasingly unlikely for 2020, to be decided in 2013.

Written by Ed Hula III.