South Sudan Just A Step Further To Be A Member Of IOC

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has recommended that South Sudan be granted Olympic recognition during its first meeting, Tuesday. "Today the executive board approved to submit to the session (IOC Session) the recomendation of the NOC (National Olympic Committe) of South Sudan," IOC Director of Communications, Mark Adams told a press briefing at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Adams said the IOC members will vote in an election on Aug 2 whether the country could become a new member of the IOC. For the record, at the 2012 London Olympics, South Sudanese marathon runner Guor Marial competed as an independent athlete under the IOC flag. On the question of whether United States Olympic Committe (USOC) will select a new city to replace Boston in their bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, Adams said that the issue was not discussed specifically in Tuesday's meeting. "It wasn't discussed specifically. For us, it is all about the American bid. At this invitation phase, which is new, it is an opportunity to determine which city will be eventually be chosen by the NOC. "I am very confident that USOC would choose the most appropriate city for a strong bid. We are still in the new invitation phase and the final name has to come foward before Sept 15," said Adams. On Tuesday, just hours before the IOC Executive Board meeting opened, USOC rescinded Boston's bid to host the 2024 Games after the mayor said his city's taxpayers could not afford to host the large-scale event. The deadline for applicant city submissions for the 2024 Games is Sept 15 with Hamburg, Paris, Rome and Budapest already having entered the race. The United States last hosted the Summer Games in Atlanta in 1996. --BERNAMA