Dylan Bettencourt
No African country has ever hosted the Olympic Games but Egypt is well on its way to changing that.
With its 2036 bid to host the event, Egypt’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) announced its intentions to host the event with, “It’s time for Africa”.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi provided government backing for a possible bid when International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach visited the country.
“We’re preparing the letter to the IOC, with our intention to present a bid for the 2036 Olympic Games,” NOC secretary general Sharif El Erian told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s time for Africa. It’s the only continent that has not hosted the Summer Olympics and I think Egypt is one of the few countries in Africa where the infrastructure is ready to host such a huge event.”
The Egyptian Cabinet claimed in a statement that Bach had asserted that Egypt’s sporting infrastructure gives it an opportunity to host the games.
Bach visited the North African nation to visit the massive 92-acre complex to be named the Olympic City, due to be built in the new administrative capital 40km east of Cairo.
“The only thing that needs to be built is the Olympic Village and winning the bid comes more than seven years before the actual games,” said El Erian.
“So if we win the bid, we have enough time to build a state-of-the-art village.”
Egypt has hosted several continental and even international events such as the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Handball Championship.
Initially the country hoped to host the 2032 Olympics but Australian city Brisbane was announced as host last year.
“We know that we have to act now,” El Erian said, despite the formal bidding process still being some years away.
“We know we have competition from five to six other countries who have indicated their intention that they would also love to host, but we are confident that our bid will be one of the strongest.”
Germany, India, Mexico, Qatar, Turkey and Russia are all said to be interested in hosting the 2036 Olympics.
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