Will the death of Nelson Mandela strengthen South Africa's chances of one day winning the organization of the Olympic Games? Maybe. One person, at least, believes in it and says it loud and clear. His name: Sam Ramsamy. The South African leader, a member of the IOC since 1995, has been repeating it since last Friday, from Lausanne: “ The time is no longer to mourn his death, but to celebrate his work and everything he accomplished. He always considered sport as a unifying factor and a universal language. The Football World Cup in 2010 was one of his wishes. But he also campaigned for South Africa to organize the Games"

Sam Ramsamy makes no secret of it: he intends to take advantage of the global media impact of the death of Nelson Mandela to advance the file for a South African candidacy. To date, Durban is among the cities most often cited to enter the race for the 2024 Summer Games. Its application has not yet been finalized. But his chances look real. Thomas Bach himself explained it between two IOC meetings, at the end of the week in Lausanne: “ Nelson Mandela used sport to build a nation. He played a big role in Cape Town's bid for the 2004 Games. He was very marked by the Olympic spirit"

According to Sam Ramsamy, Nelson Mandela was still recently concerned, despite illness, about the progress of the South African Olympic file. “ The last time we saw each other, he told me about ithe says. He asked me, “Sam, where are we on the Olympics? » I told him that we were doing our best. I hope now that we can celebrate his memory and his journey by trying to get their organization in the near future"

Nelson Mandela's last public appearance took place in a sports arena. He attended, as guest of honor, the opening match of the 2010 Football World Cup at the Johannesburg stadium.