The South African city announced their intention to bid for the Games on the March 31 deadline, alongside Edmonton in Canada.

But, despite attending the Glasgow 2014 Debrief and Candidate City Seminar in the Gold Coast earlier this month, the bid team has been relatively withheld in their publicity towards the bid.

insidethegames understands this is because the bid is currently circulating the three tiers of South African Government - national, provincial and local levels - causing holdups in the publication of information.

Several requests from insidethegames for information from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) about the status of the bid have gone unanswered. 

South Africa's Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula claimed last month that hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022 would be a major stepping-stone to one day staging the Olympics, and assured both the public and the SASCOC that the Government fully supported Durban's bid.

"As a Government we've embarked on the process of the 2022 Commonwealth bid," he said.

"It's good for athletes and their own confidence but lets remember that the hosting of Commonwealth Games is a precursor to the Olympic Games.

"They are in tandem.

"We have engaged all and are ready to take serious steps in Government to put in a solid bid to make sure these Games come to the African continent.

"I can tell you now the progress of engagement is well underway.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban was a host venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa ©Getty Images



Martin, who is also an honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) having been re-elected for a third term in 2007, told insidethegames that she had no concerns over Durban's apparent lack of activity in the campaign to host the 2022 Games.

"I have every confidence that there will be two very strong bids to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 from Durban and Edmonton," she said.

"Both bid teams have plenty of time to continue with their preparations as they are not required to submit their final bid until March next year."

South Africa is no stranger to hosting major sporting events, having hosted the world's most widely viewed sporting spectacle - the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

It also successfully hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2003 Cricket World Cup and most recently, the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

The deadline for cities to submit their bids for the 2022 Commonwealth Games is March 2, 2015.

The decision on which city will host Games is due to be taken by the CGF at its General Assembly in Auckland on September 2, 2015.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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