Commonwealth Games bosses have given their backing to South Africa hosting the 2022 event, even though the country missed three crucial deadlines. According to reports, the Commonwealth Games Federation was unhappy with South Africa's "non-committal" attitude towards hosting the 2022 event and was at one point considering awarding the games to another nation, most likely Sri Lanka. The matter was reportedly due to be discussed at the federation's executive committee meeting in London on Tuesday.But a federation spokesman has since said that the federation had full confidence in this country's ability to host the event.The games would be centred on eThekwini, but the municipality would not be able to fund them fully, and KwaZulu-Natal finance MEC Belinda Scott said earlier this year that the provincial government would be unable to foot the bill.The national government will have to provide financial guarantees for the event, which is expected to cost more than R3-billion.eThekwini municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole said: " The budget to build the Commonwealth Games Village will come from the Department of Human Settlements. That would be the biggest expense. Once the games are over, accommodation would be sold to people who don't get subsidies."The Treasury has not signed the necessary guarantees, nine months after the games were awarded to the city.The central government has missed paying the first tranche of its financial contribution to the Commonwealth Games Federation, and has yet to establish a local organising committee.The interministerial committee set up to establish the local organising committee has yet to meet.This catalogue of problems had led to fears that eThekwini would lose the right to host the games.But a Commonwealth Games Federation spokesman said the financial arrangements had been finalised and the organising committee and board established.Discussions had taken place between the federation, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and sports department director-general Alec Moemi."We have been assured that the first host-city payment will be honoured as soon as they finalise their governance and structures," the spokesman said.He said the federation was confident that South Africa would "not only deliver on their commitments to successfully host the games in six years' time, but also write a new chapter for the Commonwealth sports movement as the first Commonwealth Games on African soil".Sport department spokesman Esethu Hasane said yesterday: "After we won the bid, the cabinet congratulated the department and said they are ready to host the games. That is why we are saying there aren't any concerns because government processes are under way."eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo said during his budget speech on Tuesday that the city's preparations were going well."More than 80% of the facilities for the games already exist. The city of Durban is well on track."..