The eThekwini Municipality is excited to once again welcome the world, with two major international events taking place in the City within the next few months.
The Executive Committee was briefed on the two International Olympic Committee (IOC) endorsed events termed “eThekwini 1” and “eThekwini 2” at a meeting held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre today.
‘EThekwini 1’, taking place from the 5th to the 7th of December 2010, will be an International Conference on Sports, Education and Culture, focusing on youth development and empowerment. South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) President, Gideon Sam, said that the conference will be discussing matters of poverty, education, sports and diseases. “We, as a sporting federation, want to share the road ahead with the City by positioning it as the continent’s premier destination for big sporting conferences,” said Sam.
‘EThekwini 2’ is the 123rd IOC session taking place from the 2nd to 9th of July 2011. Thousands of international delegates will descend upon Durban’s shores, where the hosts of the 2018 Winter Olympics will be announced from the three bidders, Munich (Germany), Pycongchang (South Korea) and Annecy (France).
Sam Ramsamy, IOC executive member, appealed to Durbanites to “put their best foot forward”, as these two events would determine whether or not the City is capable of handling major international events. Ramsamy said that the City should grab this rare opportunity with both hands and showcase itself to the world as the possible host city for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Ethekwini Mayor, Cllr Obed Mlaba, said the City is excited about hosting these events, which will be taking place for the first time on African soil. “We need to take full advantage of these events and ensure that they leave a lasting legacy and add value to our people’s lives,” he said, adding that the government should work together to ensure the success of these events.
Issued by: Communication and PR Department of eThekwini Municipality.