Gold Coast wins CWG 2018 bid
The Australian sporting city of Gold Coast won the bid to host the Commonwealth Games 2018 after winning 43 votes to 27 against Hambantota, the southern city of Sri Lanka at the meeting of the 71 Commonwealth nations at St. Kitts in the Caribbean a short while ago (3.30a.m. Sri Lanka time).
Gold Coast was the hot favourite to outclass Hambantota and their win will be counted on using the Commonwealth Games 2018 to boost the image of the Queensland city in many aspects.
Both bidders came out with presentations which were ethical and unique in their own manner but Gold Coast came out with a much detailed plan then their rivals Hambantota.
Gold Coast promised a strong volunteer force of 120,000 with much of infrastructure in place in addition to youth development which was also an aspect brought up by Hambantota.
They also pledged 500,000 Pounds for each Commonwealth country beforehand the Games in 2018 to prepare the athletes of each nation.
Hambantota's budget on the Games was estimated at $652 million and their bid was highly commended by the attendees.
Gold Coast’s presentation was highly based on multicultural aspects, public relations, recreational and safety aspects which partly lacked at the Delhi Games in 2010 where the Indian government had to intervene in the eleventh-hour.
Many top athletes such as Jamaica's multiple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt skipped the 2010 Games because the timing did not fit their schedules, while other athletes stayed reasoning security concerns which was baseless.
"We've done a lot of hard work and it was very clear earlier in the week that there were a lot delegates wanting to support Hambantota," Queensland’s Premier Anna Bligh told reporters soon after winning the bid.
"It's been a very, very close vote. There was a good chance that we weren't going to make it. We had seven presentation rehearsals, we've lobbied everybody, people have had jet-lag all wee,” she added.
"At the end of all that, the hard work has paid off. I am so proud of this team, I am so proud of the Gold Coast and I am so proud of being a Queenslander tonight."
Record breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who was a member of the Sri Lankan delegate commenting minutes before the announcement of the final said; “We’ve tried our best to win the hearts of many here as we have been doing it on the field of sports, as players. It’s not a rivalry or a fight but it’s a genuine attempt to win an opportunity to host a memorable event. It (the final result) depends on what the members of each country decide”.
The Gold Coast will be the fifth Australian city and the first of our regional cities to host the games. Sydney was the first to have that honour, hosting the then British Empire Games in 1938, followed by Perth (in 1962), Brisbane (1982) and Melbourne (2006).
Glasgow, Scotland will host the 2014 CWG.
