Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg have also expressed an interest in staging the Games, but with South African government approval required before the NOC can submit a bid ahead of the International Olympic Committee’s September 1 deadline, Sam declared that Durban was the most likely candidate.
“The economies of scale will tip it in the direction of Durban but that final decision has to be taken,” he told The Associated Press.
South Africa, which has never hosted the Olympics, has targeted the 2020 Games after last year’s FIFA World Cup in the country. “If we don't win on the Olympics, there is 2022 for the Commonwealth Games.”
The Italian capital of Rome is the only city to officially enter the running for the 2020 Games, although Madrid, Dubai, Doha, Istanbul and Tokyo have been linked with a bid.
