Olympics
IOC BOSS BACH DISCOURAGING AUSTRALIA’S 2032 OLYMPICS BID
BY DUCAN MACKAY
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Saturday signalled that another major change to how host cities are selected is on the horizon.
Bach was addressing the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Annual General Meeting in Sydney where he hailed the number of cities and countries interested in bidding for the Games but admitted he feared the current system “creates too many losers in the end”.
This was the first time an IOC President has attended an AOC meeting.
His words will have been particularly studied by the AOC because they are planning to put forward Brisbane as a candidate to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – and some experts have already installed the Queensland city as the early favourite.
Other cities to have also already publicly announced they are interested in bidding are Jakarta in Indonesia and Mumbai in India.
There is also a proposal for a joint Pyongyang-Seoul bid from North and South Korea.
The IOC took the unprecedented decision in 2017 to award two Olympic Games together.
Paris were given the 2024 Games while its only rival, Los Angeles, were awarded 2028.
Bach is clearly keen to avoid a scenario in the bid race for the 2032 Olympic Games where a leading international city invests time and money on a campaign only to ultimately fail.
“With Olympic Agenda 2020 we are revolutionising the way future Olympic Games are organised,” he told the AOC meeting.
“In the past, bidding for the Olympic Games was like applying for a franchise.
“We asked potential hosts how they would change their cities in order to adapt them to the Olympic Games.
“Now we ask them how we can adapt the Games to best fit the long-term needs of their city or region.
“These reforms have created momentum.
“At this time, we have not even elected the host city for the Olympic Winter Games 2026.
“But already now we have expressions of interest from numerous cities and regions for the Olympic Winter Games 2030, and even for the Olympic Games 2032, 13 years in advance.
“This shows the even growing relevance and global appeal of the Olympic Games.
“This is why half the world’s population tuned in to follow the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
“Now we have the positive challenge to manage these expressions of interests.
“While having many candidates at the start of the process might look good at a first glance, it creates too many losers in the end.
“This is why we need to focus on the best possible host for the best athletes of the world without creating too many losers.”
AOC President John Coates was last month appointed by Bach to chair a working group investigating possible changes to the bid process.
Bach said he wanted the group to “produce an evolution of the revolution of Olympic Agenda 2020”.
The working group is expected to present its findings to the IOC Session due to take place in Lausanne between June 24 and 26.
The vote to choose the host city for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is due to take place at the IOC Session in 2025, the same meeting where will have to step down as President following the completion of his 12-year term.
– insidethegames
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Morocco’s senior women’s national team will on Wednesday learn their opponents and qualification pathway to the football event of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when the Confederation of African Football stages the official draw in Cairo.
The draw, billed for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, marks the starting point of Africa’s qualifying campaign, with 35 nations set to battle for just two coveted Olympic slots.
For Morocco, the exercise represents another significant step in the country’s rapidly rising profile in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses, who have emerged as one of Africa’s most improved sides in recent years, will be aiming to secure a historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
The North Africans will face stiff competition from traditional powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana, alongside other ambitious sides including Zambia and Senegal.
Also in the race are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will unfold across five rounds, with the field gradually trimmed down until only two teams remain to represent Africa at the Olympics in the United States from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Morocco are expected to be among the seeded teams for the early rounds, a reflection of their recent performances on the continental stage, including their strong showing at recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will therefore be crucial in determining Morocco’s early matchups and the potential obstacles on their path, as they seek to translate recent progress into a maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
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