IOC member predicts South African Olympic bid

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Sir Craig Reedie has become the latest high-profile figure to predict that South Africa will make a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Reedie believes the fact the country is hosting this summer’s FIFA World Cup, as well as the IOC’s decision to give the 2016 Games to South America (Rio de Janeiro) for the first time will encourage South Africa to make a bid.

Reedie said: “The two great sporting events in the world are the Olympic Games and the World Cup. I would not be surprised at all if a bid came from the South African Olympic Commitee for a future Games.

“They would obviously have to decide where of all its cities would be best or appropriate to bid. The quality of the bids is becoming very high and I think that the decision to move the Games to the south of the equator (with Rio 2016) would be a natural encouragement to South Africa. One of the great joys of being in the IOC is that we get a range of wonderful cities applying to host the Olympics.”