SASCOC has two weeks to submit its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games to the IOC

With just two weeks left before the International Olympic Committee’s submission deadline, SASCOC is awaiting government approval before it can forward the application amid stiff competition from other countries, including Egypt and India.

The national Olympic body president, Barry Hendricks has emphasised that they are at the mercy of Cabinet as the clock ticks away, while the door also remains open to a 2040 bid.

"We are still waiting for Cabinet approval, we are running out of time, but this is the very first stage of showing an intent to host the Olympic Games. Once we get that National approval, then we'll make our move," explained the SASCOC President. 

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The former president of the Gauteng Sports Confederation told SABC Sport that SASCOC is using its ambition to host the 2032 Olympic Games as part of a broader learning process. 

As a stepping stone, the organisation plans to first host smaller events, including the Commonwealth Games for both youth and seniors in 2030, before aiming for the larger goal of staging the Olympics in either 2032 or 2040.

"We are already learning about the inner workings of the IOC, and the process of tabling a formalised bid. If we can test ourselves first with a Commonwealth Youth Games event, then we can start targeting the bigger events." 

If South Africa is successful in its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, Hendricks pledged that they would intensify their efforts to ensure the country ranks among the top five nations, alongside powerhouses like the United States, China, and Great Britain, and secures more medals as the host nation.