Gustav Thiel
A leading British bookmaker, William Hill, is betting on Cape Town as the site for the 2004 Olympic at the very generous odds of 6 to 4, followed by Rome with 2 to 1.
However, the international magazine Sports Business puts Cape Town in third place, behind Rome and Stockholm.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides on March 7 on the final cities from which the eventual winner will be selected – to be announced on September 5. The IOC may initially elect four, and if two cities are neck and neck, can go for five.
The odds offered by William Hill on other cities are: Athens 7 to 2, Buenos Aires and Stockholm 12 to 1, Rio de Janeiro 14 to 1, St Petersburg 63 to 1, Istanbul 20 to 1, Lille 50 to 1, San Juan 66 to 1 and Seville 100 to 1.
Chris Ball, chief executive officer of Cape Town’s bid company, told the Mail & Guardian this week that he believed the city’s proposal for the Games was unrivalled by any of the other ten bidding cities.
“I seriously believe that we have put forward the best proposal to the International Olympic Committee and that we have the best logistical support to host the Games,” Ball said.
Odds given by betting agencies are notoriously inaccurate and therefore, according to one of the bid’s staunchest opponents, former Cape Town city councillor Arthur Wienburg, there was “pure speculation” about the September 5 decision.
“I suspect that Cape Town will be included in the last four or five citiessimply because this will be a politically correct decision by the IOC. Cape Town will also be included as it is the only African city to bid and the IOC will be keen to sustain worldwide interest in the bidding process,” said Wienburg.
He added the warning often sounded by opponents of the bid, that Cape Town does not have the infrastructure for the Games. “The IOC must surely realise that Cape Town is simply too small for the Olympic Games,” he said.
The bid company insists, however, that the Evaluation Commission of the IOC which visited Cape Town early last month left impressed with what the Mother City has to offer.
“Although the members of the IOC Evaluation Commission are very professional and thus will not comment to us on what they saw here, the vibes that I have picked up from them are very positive,” said Ball. “One should always be cautious, but I think we will be in the final four or five cities. Thereafter I think we are still strongly in the running.”
In the past, Ball has come under fire for his management style from various groups, including the Development Action Group, a housing forum opposed to the bid.
Ball said he was unaware of criticism levelled at him but his door was open to anyone willing to confront him with complaints. “I am willing to admit that I am imperfect and not always the most open person, but I have a job to do and that is to make sure that Cape Town wins the bid,” he said.
He admitted that there had in the past been “tensions” between the bid company and the National Olympic Committee of South Africa and these had undermined the bid.
“This relationship is now very strong,” he said.