Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, has expressed the hope that Africa would bid to host the Olympics by 2036.
“At the beginning of my term (in 2013), I had a dream that the Olympic games would be hosted in Africa in my tenure, but it is not going to be possible, unfortunately. I hope that by 2036 or 2040 – which would be when am out of office – an African country will enter into dialogue with the IOC to organize the Olympic Games,” he stated. “It is really important to see the games in Africa, but the ball at the moment is in the court of the African countries.”
Bach said this while fielding questions from young reporters of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bach said he dreamed that Africa would host the games during his tenure.
Twenty-one young reporters from various countries, alongside Ijeoma Okigbo of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), are in Lausanne for a media training organised by the AIPS.
(NAN)
