The South African city of Durban has lost its right to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games after it did not meet the criteria set by the Commonwealth Games Federation.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) president Gideon Sam made the announcement on Monday, terming it a huge disappointment for his country and Africa at large.
Durban was awarded the right to host the Games in 2015 as the only city to have made a bid, and was to be the first time the Games were held if Africa.
Last month, the South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula indicated the city may not be able to host the event because of financial constraints.
“We gave it our best shot but we can’t go beyond. If the country says we don’t have this money, we can’t,” he said.
Liverpool could now be issued with the rights to host the Games after English officials expressed their interest in doing so.
Louise Martin CBE, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said the organization will continue to work with SASCOC with the possibility of having future Commonwealth Games hosted in Africa.
“The CGF will continue to have an open dialogue with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the Republic of South Africa and remains committed to realizing the shared ambitions of a future Commonwealth Games in Africa.” He said.
