GAMES

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By Tom Degun in the Gold Coast

June 21 - The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission have claimed that they are unconcerned by the nature of Hambantota's bid for the 2018 event despite the fact that only one of the major sporting venues in the Sri Lankan city has been completed.

The five-person Commission, chaired by Scotland's Louise Martin, are currently undertaking a four-day inspection of the Gold Coast, Hambantota's only rivals for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, before they head to Sri Lanka next week from June 27-30.

A large part of the visit to the Gold Coast will see the Commission taken on site visits to key venues such as the Carrara Stadium with the large majority of the proposed 2018 Commonwealth Games venues in the Australian city having been completed.

But in stark contrast, the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium (pictured), which opened in February 2011 and staged two matches during the ICC 2011 World Cup, is the only proposed 2018 Commonwealth Games venue to have been built where it is scheduled to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the archery if the 2018 bid is successful.

Therefore the majority of the of the Commission's stay in Sri Lanka will see them located in the country's largest city, the capital Colombo, for a series of virtual presentations with only a one day visit to Hambantota but CGF chief executive Mike Hooper, one of the members of the five-person Commission, said this poses no problem at all.

"Hambantota is a developing city and it is no secret that the majority of their venues have not yet been built," Hooper told insidethegames.

"But they are hugely ambitious and there are plans for Hambantota developed into a sport city regardless of whether they are awarded Commonwealth Games.

"In fact all of the venues will be built except the Velodrome and the temporary venues even if the bid is unsuccessful.

"There is also new the seaport that is being developed and a major new airport under construction meaning that the area will soon be a hub of prosperity for Sri Lanka so we are not at all concerned by the nature of their bid."


Hambantota are planning a compact bid with all the venues in the same area and they have stated that all planned 2018 Commonwealth Games venues will be ready by 2016 when the city is due to host the South Asian Games.

Martin echoed Hooper's comments, claiming that the Glasgow's successful bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which she headed, was similar to the Hambantota bid in that few of the major Games venues were built during the bid stage.

"We won the 2014 bid on a Village that was virtual," she said.

"You can't expect to have everything there seven years out."

Day one of the Commission's visit to the Gold Coast was largely made up of presentations but day two and three will consist of site visits and a tour of the city via helicopter before proceedings are concluded with a final press conference on day four.

Following both visits, the Commission will produce a final Evaluation report for voting delegates which is due to be published this September and likely to play a crucial role in deciding where the 2018 Commonwealth Games are staged when the vote for them takes place at the GCF General Assembly on November 11 in St Kitts and Nevis.

Contact the writer of this story at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By Duncan Mackay

June 15 - Hambantota is confident of winning its bid to host the Commonwealth Games, Sri Lanka Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage (pictured right) has claimed, at the same time shrugging off fears that financial problems connected to this year's cricket World Cup could affect its campaign.

The race to host the event in 2018 is entering a critical period with an Evaluation Commission from the Commonwealth Games Federation (GCF) due to begin inspections next week of Hambantota and its only rival, the Gold Coast in Australia.

The Sri Lankan city is considered the outsider but Aluthgamage is hoping that history will repeat itself.

Kuala Lumpur won a vote with Adelaide to become the first Asian city to host the Games in 1998.

"In 1991, when Malaysia was competing, the difference between those two countries was the same like with us today," said Aluthgamage.

"There is no difference.

"Nobody thought that Australia would lose, but Malaysia won."

Sri Lanka's Government are planning to spend up to $4 billion (£2.5 billion) on new facilities and infrastructure if their bid is successful, they revealed today.

Not all of this will be connected to the games, but will be on ports, sports stadiums and other basic infrastructure developments," said Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the co-chairman of Hambantota 2018 and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Cabraal is also confident that Hambantota can beat the Gold Coast, who he claims are spending $9 million (£5.5 million) on their bid.

"Members of the Commonwealth present at the bid presentation [in Kuala Lumpur last month] claimed they had underestimated the potential of Sri Lanka," he said.

"In the past 80 years, only a handful of countries had hosted the Games and therefore Sri Lanka, as a new contender, had a better chance."

Cabraal accepted that the Gold Coast would be a lower-risk option for the CGF but it would have would more impact if it were held in Hambantota.

The plans have already been shown to Mike Hooper, the chief executive of the CGF, who visited Sri Lanka earlier this year.


The CGF's Evaluation Commission, which is chaired by Scotland's Louise Martin, will visit the Gold Coast from June 20-23, before travelling to Hambantota from June 27-30, before providing a report in the lead-up to the CGF Assembly in St Kitts and Nevis on November 11, where the host city will be chosen.

"Everything is already in place Australia; they have the stadiums and all the required facilities," said Cabraal.

"But in Sri Lanka we have much more to do.

"It's going to be a huge investment in the country.

"We have a good chance.

"If Malaysia was able to do it at that time, we can do it, too.

"I think that will be reflected in the minds of many countries when they go to vote.

"So we believe that Commonwealth nations will also back Sri Lanka at the voting and we will surprise the world."

Hambantota's campaign to host the Commonwealth Games has coincided with Sri Lanka Cricket calling on the country's Government to help it meet the $69 million (£43 million) bill it spent on co-hosting the 2011 World Cup.

Part of the cost was incurred building the the Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota, which is due to host archery if the Commonwealth Games are awarded to Hambantota.

"Sri Lanka Cricket ran out of funds after hosting the World Cup and sought Government help to settle some payments," said Aluthgamage.

Sri Lanka, which lost the final to India by six wickets, hosted 12 matches during the World Cup, with others held in India and Bangladesh.

"In total, we spent about five billion rupees ($46 million) to build the three World Cup venues," Aluthgamage said.

"It's not a crisis situation yet.

"We are confident [the problem will be solved]."

Contact the writer of this story at duncan.mackay@insidethegames.biz

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By Tom Degun

June 14 - Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the co-chairman of Hambantota 2018 and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, has claimed hosting the Commonwealth Games would showcase to the world that the country has truly emerged from the devastating tsunami in 2004 which ripped the area to pieces.

Hambantota was one of the cities hit the hardest by the Indian Ocean tsunami just over six years ago that left more than 35,000 people dead in Sri Lanka.

The majority of buildings in Hambantota were destroyed and over 500,000 people were left homeless but the coastal city has since undergone a number of major development projects as part of the recovery from the disaster.

These include the construction of a new seaport, a new international airport and an international cricket stadium, which hosted matches during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, but Cabraal believes that Hambantota winning the right to stage the 2018 Commonwealth Games would unequivocally show to the world that the country has finally overcome the damage left by the tsunami.


"It [the Commonwealth Games] gives the opportunity for Sri Lanka to showcase to the world that we have emerged out of the Tsunami, that we have emerged out of the conflict and that we have truly reconciled," said Cabraal.

"So this will give us a great opportunity to show to the world how Sri Lanka has transformed itself and also give us the sense of occasion, as well as catalytic effect to bring about that change.

"So I think it will be an absolutely life changing exercise and experience for Sri Lanka and we are hoping that we will have a great chance of hosting the Games."

Hambantota are currently locked in a two-horse race to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games against the Gold Coast in Australia.

Both cities are set face the most important stage of the bid so far with the 2018 Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission, chaired by Scotland's Louise Martin, set to visit both candidate cities later this month.

The Commission will visit the Gold Coast from June 20-23, before travelling to Hambantota from June 27-30, but Cabraal is in confident mood ahead of the technical inspection and feels that a Commonwealth Games in Sri Lanka can provide a real legacy that will impress the CGF.

"We are going to have Hambantota developed to be a sport city and, at the same time, the sport city will have other areas of commercial interest," he said.

"For example it will also be an IT city and together with the seaport that is now being developed and the airport that is being developed, we will have another area from which Sri Lanka's growth will be supported.

"So we will have several pockets of growth in Sri Lanka which will then ensure that the entire country can be developed so that it [the 2018 Commonwealth Games] can be a truly inspiring event for the city as well as the country.

"But it will also be a fantastic opportunity for the Commonwealth to show that there are emerging countries who can come forward to host the Games, not just those few countries who have hosted the Commonwealth Games so far.

"There are 71 nations that constitute the Commonwealth and it is good to show that more of them are going to be competing to host the Games in the future."

Contact the writer of this story at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz

Source: www.insidethegames.com

By Tom Degun

June 13 - Queensland's Government has pledged that over 30,000 new jobs will be created in the Gold Coast should the Australian coastal city stage the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Queensland's Treasurer Andrew Fraser (pictured) has forecast the creation of 140,000 jobs in Queensland over the next two years ahead of the State Budget announcement tomorrow, which will be driven by a $14 billion (£9 billion) capital works programme.

However, Fraser said there would be around a 30,000 increase on the number if the Gold Coast holds off Sri Lankan rivals Hambantota to win the right to host the Games, with a decision due from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) at its Assembly in St Kitts and Nevis on November 11 this year.

"There's no doubt that the Gold Coast will play a big part in Queensland's next wave of prosperity," he said.

"The Commonwealth Games, should our bid be successful, will be a big driver of construction jobs in the lead-up to 2018.

"There's also little doubt that once the world sees the Gold Coast as host of the Games, there will be a swag of economic benefits, including more jobs in sectors like tourism and retail."

Last month, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh outlined the major economic benefits the 2018 Commonwealth Games would bring to the Gold Coast and urged the local public to back the bid.

"An independent economic assessment has estimated that the potential economic benefit of staging the Games to be up to $2 billion (£1.3 million)," she said.

"These Games would leave a permanent legacy for the Gold Coast and a huge boost for tourism and accommodation providers - there are 19,915 hotel beds within a 10 kilometres radius of Carrara Stadium alone."

Gold Coast 2018 chairman Mark Stockwell added: "The Games Village will kick start the Health and Knowledge Precinct at Parklands, which is part of the city's bold vision.

"The investment at Carrara will deliver on Council's economic vision to broaden its sports tourism economy and the Commonwealth Games will deliver the event that will put the Gold Coast on the international map once again and will be the focus for the Gold Coast to become a world class city.

"To achieve this we need to win the vote of the 71 voting delegates in November.

"This is why we need the whole community behind the bid.

"It's our time to shine."

The 2018 bid race has now reached a crucial stage with the CGF Evaluation Commission, chaired by Scotland's Louise Martin, set to visit both candidate cities later this month.

The Commission will visit the Gold Coast from June 20-23 before travelling to Hambantota from June 27-30.

Contact the writer of this story at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By Tom Degun

June 7 - Mark Stockwell (pictured), chairman of the Gold Coast 2018 bid team, has revealed that he is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of rivals Hambantota but that he simply wants to focus on his own bid.

The Australian and Sri Lankan cities are currently locked in a fierce two-horse race to win the right to stage the Commonwealth Games, with a decision on the host city due to be announced at the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis on November 11 this year.

The bid race is now entering a crucial stage with both Bid Books having been submitted last month and the CGF 2018 Evaluation Commission, chaired by Scotland's Louise Martin, set to visit both candidate cities later this month.

However, while Stockwell claims to know all about his rival, he says he is far more concerned about the Gold Coast.

"I'm a big believer in focusing and worrying about the things that you can influence and not stressing about the things that you've got absolutely no control over," Stockwell said on ABC Radio.

"And I've got no control over Hambantota's bid.

"To be honest, I know where their weaknesses are and I know where their strengths are but I don't need to read their Bid Book to know that.

"I think our strengths are the fact that the world sporting community knows that Australia can run excellent multi-sport international events and the experiences of Sydney in 2000 [when Australia successfully hosted the Summer Olympics and Paralympics] and Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games in 2006 are still at the forefront of all the delegates' minds.

"But I just think it is pointless [for me to discuss Hambantota].

"I am in a competition and you might think I'm being a bit flippant but I am just focused on the end game.

"I don't want to talk about their bid; I want to talk about our bid.

"Sorry but that is just the way I am."

Meanwhile the CGF Evaluation Commission is set to visit the Gold Coast from June 20-23, before visiting Hambantota from June 27-30.

The five person Commission will consist of Martin, CGF chief executive Mike Hooper, President of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) Gideon Sam, secretary general of the Barbados Olympic Association Erskine Simmonds and executive director of The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Andrew Ryan.

"Gold Coast City is honoured and proud to be Australia's candidate city and we look forward to the next phase of the bid and welcoming Commonwealth Games Associations to our city," said Stockwell.

Contact the writer of this story at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz