The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has formally picked Senegal as its first African host of any Olympics.
Senegal President Macky Sall was present on Monday to see International Olympic Committee members confirm the executive board’s preference from four candidates.
Senegal will host the youth games in three places: Dakar; a new city of Diamniadio, close to the capital; and the coastal resort of Saly. A 50,000-seat Olympic Stadium will be built for the olympics which is a project backed by the government.
An estimated $150 million will go towards the project, the IOC executive director of Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi, said at a news conference.
Senegal’s games are likely to be held in late May in order to reduce the chances of contracting tropical related diseases, IOC vice president Ugur Erdener told the membership.
In relation to other bidding nations like Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia, Senegal has a booming economy and better conditions. A rail link as well as an athlete’s village which will become university accommodation are part of the construction project.
“Senegal is not required to have a detailed budget at this stage,” Erdener said, though noting that the government has “full understanding of the magnitude” of its task.
One IOC member from Africa said the whole continent would share the responsibility of its first Olympics, comparing it to soccer’s 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
-VOA
