Africa Supporters Union to back Durban 2020 Olympic bid

Accra, July 6, GNA - Coalition of Supporters Union of Africa (COS= UA) has said it

will back the city of Durban, South Africa to host the 2020 Olympic Games. The bid is expected to dominate discussions at the next COSUA Delegates

Conference due in July, in the city of Durban.

Sarfo Abrebrese, President of COSUA told GNA Sports in an interview from South

Africa, that the Coalition will look at how best to mobilize support to put the City back in

the running for the 2020 global sporting event, despite the decision of the South African

government not to back the bid.

He said the conference will also constitute a support group to unite the entire

continent behind Durban's bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, 93a mission we a= re still

committed to despite the decision by the government of South Africa not to go ahead with

the bid". According to the President of COSUA, it will also call on the Africa= n Union (AU) to

intervene in securing a reconsideration of the decision of the South Africa= n government,

adding that they are putting up a petition for the new chairperson of AU, President Bingu

wa Mutharika of Malawi to intervene. The conference, which will be attended by 300 delegates from all 53 African countries,

will deliberate on: 93the way forward in advancing COSUA's mission of building unity

through sports." The Union, which was founded in Accra, Ghana, in 2006, is aimed at mobilizing

support of all African fans and supporters to team up with common goal for all

international sports competitions. Abrebrese said COSUA will also focus on the 2012 Olympic Games in London, with

the conference as the launch pad for a mass mobilisation campaign aimed at the citizenry

of all member African countries to raise and register millions of supporter= s to consolidate

the gains of the 2010 FIFA World. South Africa Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula announce= d three weeks

ago that he would lobby his colleagues in cabinet to change their decision not to bid for

the Olympics. Mbalula said they were approached by various countries, who asked them to bid

"because they want to vote for us to host the 2020 Olympics". The influential minister said while they respected cabinet's decision, it was far cheaper

to stage the Olympics than the FIFA World Cup and the COSUA thinks it would be a

further boost to Africa's capabilities in organsing events.