World Cup boss calls for the Olympics to go to Africa

A successful World Cup in South Africa will increase the pressure on the IOC to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time. That is the belief of Danny Jordaan, chief executive of South Africa's World Cup organising committee, who said the decision to award the 2016 Olympics to Brazil "opens the way to the African continent in 2020". Rio de Janeiro became the first South American city to be awarded an Olympics when it won the race to host the 2016 Games last month. "I think that 2020 must be Africa's turn," Jordaan said. "The fact that the Olympics now has gone to Rio and to South America leaves Africa the only continent since 1896 still waiting." He said the choice of Rio over Chicago and other cities "indicates also that there is a shift in the thinking of the IOC that developing countries must be considered". Jordaan added: "I think that the IOC will be under pressure to seriously consider an African bid and part of that of course is a highly successful 2010 Fifa World Cup that will increase that pressure. "We understand the importance of a successful World Cup in our country." South Africa is still dealing with concerns about security, transport and accommodation for the World Cup, which takes place in June and July next year. Organisers are expecting 450,000 foreign visitors for the first African World Cup, which is being held in a country with one of the world's highest rates of violent crime. Jordaan said that security questions were being taken extremely seriously and he pointed to the lack of major problems associated with recent high profile sporting events in the country, including the Confederations Cup, the British and Irish Lions rugby tour and Indian Premier League cricket. "We have 9.5 million tourists every year to South Africa - surely we would not have seen a one million year-on-year growth in tourism if it was not a destination where people can come on vacation and be safe," Jordaan said.

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ITN | November 9, 2009

Tags:. .tourists. .tourism. .profile. .destination. .rugby