By Alaa Abdel-Ghani It doesn't really matter to me where the Olympics will go in 2012. As long as it'll be held, and I can see it on TV, then as far as I'm concerned it can be played in the Bermuda Triangle -- at night. Only the Olympic host city and those who want to see the event live, up close, have more concerns than I and most other people about where the Games will be staged. I'm much more interested in how the bidding nations will go about gathering enough votes to garner the biggest prize in sports. Is it all about currying favour with as many IOC members as possible or is there some master technical plan to go along with the lobbying? This curiosity stems from me coming from Egypt, a country that could not muster a single FIFA vote for the right to host the 2010 World Cup. It was a colossal failure, and I just want to see whether any Olympic bidding country will experience a similar horror. A 12-strong team Olympic evaluation committee has been touring the five hopeful cities. Madrid, London and New York can now relax. Paris and Moscow await their turn starting next week. The cities are facing a barrage of questions from the inspectors. In no particular order of importance, here's the list: ïWhat's your plan, why's it so special and what will your Games leave behind for future generations? ïCan we trust you to deliver the Games, no matter which political parties control national, regional and local government in 2012? ïAre all your financial guarantees in place, and does your population back the bid at both local and national level? ïWill it be sunny in your city for the Games? ïCan we be sure you will respect the Olympic Charter and fulfill all the responsibilities of being host city? Will any other events clash with the Games? ïCan you guarantee Olympic competitors and officials will not have any problems getting into your country for the Games? ïWhat are your plans to make sure your Olympics do not harm the environment? ïHow clean is your air and drinking water? ïAre you sure you can afford the Games? Show us guarantees that you can meet any shortfall and that you will stop your hoteliers hiking up room prices. ïWho will your domestic sponsors be, and do you have adequate measures in place to combat ambush marketing? Can you reasonably expect to sell all tickets at those prices? ïTell us the thinking behind your venue locations. Are you sure you can get all the building work done in time? Does your city have enough experience of staging big sporting events to handle the Games? ïHow will you make sure the athletes, spectators and us VIP's don't spend any time sitting in traffic jams? Can you afford to improve your transport infrastructure? ïConvince us that your Paralympics will not just be an afterthought. ïWill you need any extra venues, and how will you adapt existing ones? ïWhat will your athletes' village look like? Are the rooms big enough and will the village be put to good use when the Games are over? ïDo you have sufficient expertise to set up an effective anti-doping programme? ïWhat hospital will you use to treat athletes, officials and spectators? Are you sure it could cope? ïHow will you deal with the risks posed by international terrorism, crime, civil disobedience and traffic problems? How many police and paramedics will there be if things go wrong? ïAre your figures on hotel room numbers realistic? Where will you put us up, and where will the press and sponsors stay? ïCan you prove your estimated journey times between venues are realistic? ïCan your telecommunications system cope with the huge demands of the Olympics? ïHow will you satisfy the needs of the world's media? ïWhat format will the opening and closing ceremonies take? And the medal presentations? What cultural events will you stage, and what will you teach schoolchildren about the Olympic idea? When bidding for the 2010 World Cup, Egypt was asked the same questions more or less and, judging by the disastrous result, we gave just one answer with conviction: "Yes, we have sun." The Olympic bidders will have to do much better. The vote will supposedly be the closest ever because all the cities, or their neighbours, have held the Olympics before. So the smallest detail could prove key. The commission's written evaluation, which will be published in May, is not binding but it takes on added significance because new rules designed to cut down on corruption prevent the 120 IOC members who will vote from visiting bidding cities. After the 2002 Winter Games, infamously won by Salt Lake City, the rules changed radically. Contact between bidders and voters is now strictly controlled as bid members must work within the rules to engineer possible opportunities to meet IOC members. Personally, I think a first-hand look is vital. Simply reading about a city is not enough. It's bizarre that the voters are barred from visiting the sites they must vote on. I also firmly believe quite a few voters have already made up their minds. You know, personal grievances, fond memories. A previous mugging in Moscow, a love born under a Seine sunset; these things can sway many minds. Like I said I don't really care who wins so I wish all five cities the best of luck when the verdict is announced on 6 July in Singapore. My only advice is that they have more than just the sun on their side.
