South Africa has the ability to host a summer Olympic Games following the success of this year’s soccer World Cup, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said on Monday.

Rogge, who is attending an international sports conference, said the World Cup showed the country’s ability to host a major sporting event.

“I would like to emphasize that South Africa is capable of organizing a very good Games. There is no doubt about that,” Rogge told a news conference.

Rio de Janeiro will host South America’s first Olympic Games in 2016 which will leave Africa as the only continent which has not hosted the world’s largest sports event.

Rogge said he would be pleased to see Africa hold its first Olympics but also sounded a note of caution.
“The IOC would be delighted to award the Games to Africa because it is the only continent that has not organized a Games.

“But I want to be clear that we would only award the Games on quality not on location. The bottom line is, is that the athletes deserve good Games. That will be the defining factor.

“Rio got the Games mostly based on quality, not just because we wanted to award the Games to Brazil. It would be the same for any South African, or African, bid,” he said.

“I would like to emphasize that South Africa is capable of organizing a very good Games. There is no doubt about that,” Rogge told a news conference.

Rio de Janeiro will host South America’s first Olympic Games in 2016 which will leave Africa as the only continent which has not hosted the world’s largest sports event.

Rogge said he would be pleased to see Africa hold its first Olympics but also sounded a note of caution.
“The IOC would be delighted to award the Games to Africa because it is the only continent that has not organized a Games.

“But I want to be clear that we would only award the Games on quality not on location. The bottom line is, is that the athletes deserve good Games. That will be the defining factor.

“Rio got the Games mostly based on quality, not just because we wanted to award the Games to Brazil. It would be the same for any South African, or African, bid,” he said.