Still Time for Cycling to Join Commonwealth Games Program

(ATR) The CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation says he is confident a solution can be found to see track cycling included in the program at the 2022 Games in Durban.

David Grevemberg was speaking to reporters in London at the Beyond Sport forum about the issue of cycling’s participation in the Commonwealth Games.

Just days after being selected to host the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games, South African officials admitted that they may not be able to fund the construction of one of the planned venues – a velodrome in Pietermaritzburg, located about 80km north-west of Durban.

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee president Gideon Sam said that cycling’s governing body UCI could help finance the project - although that notion was flatly dismissed by UCI president Brian Cookson who stressed his federation was there to advise, not provide investment.

Grevemberg indicated he was playing more of a peacekeeping role, but denied that there had been a suggestion that the UCI should contribute to the funding of a venue.

"I think that [funding suggestion] was made kind of in a discussion that he [Cookson] had had when it was put to him that it was a demand from South Africa which is unsubstantiated because I’ve been trying to find out who actually made that demand," Grevemberg said.

"We’ve been working very closely with the UCI to forge that conversation and to ensure that the South African cycling federation is part of that conversation, and the organizing committee as well. That’s been ongoing.

"I think right now we are working to get all partners around the table to look at what are the UCI’s plans for track cycling in the African continent in South Africa and that’s what we’ve been doing."

A Commonwealth Games without track cycling would be the first of its kind since 1934. But Grevemberg was sure that there was plenty of time to find a solution and keep it in the program.

"Traditionally you’ve had the program set seven years out," he said. "But new sports and new disciplines have come on the program three years out so I would say we’re in unchartered territory but we’re also forging a new path so we’re looking at optimizing the opportunity for Durban and for the African continent."

Written by Christian Radnedge

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.