Award the Games to developing nations
Roar Rookie By Matthew Maguire, 15 Oct 2010 Matthew Maguire is a Roar Rookie
Despite the desire of many, including on this site, to kill off the Commonwealth Games, their future can and should be secured through a dedicated commitment to award the Games to more developing nations, not less.
This is not an article discussing the credibility of the Commonwealth Games, but rather its future, for it is clearly here to stay for a considerable time yet.
The Commonwealth Games Federation should bite the bullet and make a public pronouncement that, for the future prosperity of the Games, the Federation will wherever possible pursue a goal to entrust future versions to host cities from developing countries.
Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom have hosted 13 of the 19 Games to date, with Glasgow making it 14 of 20 by 2014.
The contribution of ‘The Big Three’ has been enormous and, in time, all should be given the opportunity to host again. The future, however, lies in emerging nations.
With just two bids to host the 2018 edition, the Federation are faced with an interesting choice between the Gold Coast and Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
On one hand, an almost guaranteed smooth organisation period followed by twelve days of competition in a nation that has time and again proved adept at hosting global sporting events.
On the other hand sits a gamble on another developing sub-continent nation keen to impress on the world stage but without the experience or potentially even the resources to fund and produce such an event.
It sounds an easy choice but should the Hambantota bid be deemed credible, feasible and logistically possibly, for the future of the Commonwealth Games, Sri Lanka should win the bid.
While the Gold Coast would undoubtedly be a fine host, yet another Australian hosted Games will add little to the vitality of an event often ridiculed but still significant on the sporting landscape.
So, after Hambantota is hopefully declared host city winner next November for the 2018 Games, the Federation should open nominations not just for the Games of 2022 but also 2026 and 2030.
Then, when the announcement in 2015 is made to award the Games to a host city for the 2022 event, winners for 2026 and 2030 should also be revealed.
Giving nations such as Ghana, Kenya and Jamaica well over a decade to direct funding and resources to build venues, housing and transport infrastructure, will allow the Commonwealth Games to ease itself away from its usual reliance on Australia, Canada and the UK.
Furthermore, it genuinely takes the Games to the people of the Commonwealth and utilises its position as a landmark multi sport event to enhance the lives of particularly young people through their engagement with sport while providing a legacy of venues and infrastructure to a host city. On this score, the likes of Australia are hardly wanting.
Unfavourable opinion on the Games from Australian viewers teetering on national anthem fatigue is not a true reflection on the significance of the Games across all competing nations.
To ensure its survival for generations to come, a shift in focus toward emerging Commonwealth nations is needed now.
The Commonwealth Games is faithful to its core, never being so pretentious as to suggest it competes alongside the Olympic Games. It simply is what it is – a gathering to celebrate sport and diversity.
It sounds corny but, with 80 years of history, it deserves its place.
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October 15th 2010 @ 5:16am
mickh said | October 15th 2010 @ 5:16am | Report comment
I agree whole heartedly.
India is a challenging but truely wonderful country, I have been there a few times. The people are all heart, you can make life long friends in a few hours in that country.
Well done to India for putting on a games that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Long live the Commonweath games
October 15th 2010 @ 10:37am
sheek said | October 15th 2010 @ 10:37am | Report comment
Well, it’s noble to suggest awarding the CG to developing nations, but what will they do with the infrastructure afterwards?
Even a developed country like Australia, has struggled to make ongoing, practical use of the Homebush precinct following the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
I agree Sri Lanka should get the games before Gold Coast, but how will they utilise the facilities long-term? Also, Kingston, Jamaica hosted the CG in 1966. I think South Africa is best placed of the African nations to host a CG.
Generally speaking, I think the CGOC has done a good job of spreading the games around where & when they can.
October 15th 2010 @ 1:29pm
Dan Winters said | October 15th 2010 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
Sheek – you make valid points about the venues and post-games usage. But I disagree with your point that “I think the CGOC has done a good job of spreading the games around where & when they can.” For 2014, they were presented with a good bid from Abuja, Nigeria, but rejected them for Glasgow. Abuja 2014 would have been a first games in Africa (Delhi 2010 was the 2nd CWG in Asia, following Kuala Lumpur 1998), and would have represented tru distribution of the CWG. Instead the CGF (commonwealth games federation) chose Glasgow, despite Scotland having already hosted the CWG twice – in 1970 and 1986, and the UK having recently hosted with Manchester 2002.
If the CGF want to truly spread these games around they need to do what FIFA did for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup – accept bids from only 1 continent. This resulted in South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014. The CGF may also want to award 2 games at the same time (at the same voting session),just like FIFA are awarding 2018 and 2022 at the same time, the IRB awarded the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup to England and Japan at the same voting session etc. This would give bids like Hambantota, Sri Lanka or another similar bid (from a non-1st world western country) 11 years to prepare.
October 15th 2010 @ 2:40pm
sheek said | October 15th 2010 @ 2:40pm | Report comment
Dan,
I don’t know all the ins-&-outs of the Abuja, Nigerian bid. I note Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. I also note the Nigerian football federation & national team have been banned by FIFA for 1-2 years, due political interference.
Then we’ve had 2 of 3 athletes at the just completed games from Nigeria accused of drug taking. So, it appears the Nigerians have their problems. We shouldn’t spread the games around just for the sake of it, there needs to be a balance between striking new frontiers, & truly deserving candidates.
October 15th 2010 @ 3:15pm
Dan Winters said | October 15th 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
The 2014 Abuja bid was credible. I think the problem was that the CGF didn’t want to go to 2 new frontiers in succession (eg India 2010 followed by Nigeria 2014).
Abuja hosted the 2003 All-Africa Games successfully and has many venues already in place, built by international firms – a 60,000 seater athletics stadium (built by Schlaich Bergermann & Partners, a structural engineering firm based in Stuttgart, Germany), a Velodrome that can seat upto 6000 spectators (designed by Schurmann Architects – an international company that goes round the world building velodromes – London’s 2012 velodrome will seat 6000 spectators), an aquatics centre already in place etc…
Awarding Abuja the commonwealth games would not have been “for the sake of it,” I think they really do have a feasible/ workable plan. I think it would actually have been easier if Abuja (and less of a headache for the CGF) were to host the commonwealth games rather than Delhi.
Unfortunately for the CGF, after Abuja was emphatically rejected (Glasgow beat Abuja by 47-24 votes) in a landslide victory, the Nigerians were put off from bidding for 2018, leaving the Gold Coast poised to host 2018. I don’t see the CG in Africa anytime soon – after hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup successfully, South Africa is going for the big prize- a summer olympic bid in 2020. I don’t see Kenya putting forward a bid anytime soon.
I don’t see the CWG games going to Africa or the Carribbean anytime soon. I think the CGF will be stuck with places like the Gold Coast and Glasgow, rather than different places/ new frontiers like Cape Town, Singapore, Nariobi etc.
I think Cardiff or Sheffield will host the 2022 Commonweath games- Canada is not interested, Calgary and Quebec City are planning bids for the 2022 Winter Olympics (despite Vancouver having just hosted in 2010), Toronto will be hosting the 2015 Pan American Games in 2015. I can see the Hamilton (Canada) maybe bidding for a centenery games in 2030. Singapore is not interested – they went for the 2010 YOG and now will be going for the 2019 Asian Games. New Zealand has been priced out – Auckland recently backed away from a 2018 bid due to costs – they did a feasibility study that predicted a loss of roughly $500 million if Auckland hosted the CWG in 2018.
To all commonwealth games fans out there: “See you in Cardiff 2022 and then Adelaide in 2026!”
October 15th 2010 @ 11:22am
Dan Winters said | October 15th 2010 @ 11:22am | Report comment
Matthew – you have some great ideas and that was a well written post. However I don’t see the CWG being awarded to smaller or developing nations in the near future. Why?
1) Bid requirements:
The CGF (commonwealth games federation) has a ridiculous set of demands it requires of the host city. They want athletics stadium to host at least 40,000 seats, the aquatics centre to hold at least 5,000 seats, the list goes on. This is simply not economically viable for a lot of developing countries in the commonwealth and even smaller cites in developed countries (eg. Halifax in Canada withdrew from the 2014 race because the budget spiralled from $785 million to $1.3 billion – mainly due to the demands for big venues). Host cities of the olympic games get lots of money in sponsorship and TV deals (eg. NBC alone pays $1 billion US dollars for TV rights, then theres other broadcasters around the world and sponsorship) – such big money deals do NOT exist for the commonwealth games.
The bid requirements need to be scaled right down to make it easier for smaller or developed nations to host them eg. 20,000 seater athletics stadium, 2000 seater aquatics centre. Until then it is simply too expensive to host these games for many countries. Even New Zealand has been PRICED OUT of hosting the CWG. Auckland did a feasibility study for 2018 and predicted that hosting the event would result in a $500-600 million LOSS. So if NZ can’t afford to host the CWG, I really doubt if somewhere like Tanzania or Cyprus or Bangladesh could host these games.
2) Delhi 2010:
The numerous problems in the lead up to Delhi 2010, means that the CGF in future will be very nervous about going to another new frontier (eg. Abuja, Nigeria). The problems that Delhi encountered, ranging from venues being unfinished, dirty athletes village, bridges collapsing and a dengue fever outbreak means that the CGF will go for the “safer” option of places like the Gold Coast ahead of Hambantota. The Hambantota plan is a great idea – I wish them all the success in the world in their efforts to rebuild an area devastated by the tsunami, but they simply won’t win. The Gold Coast have got in pretty much in the bag – just like Glasgow beat Abuja, Nigeria to host 2014, despite Scotland having hosted twice before in 1970 and 86, and the UK having hosted recently with Manchester 2002.
3) Lack of interest in bidding
Foir a country to be awarded the CWG, it needs to place a bid. However – No-one really wants to bid for/ host the CWG!There are only 2 bids for 2018 – GC and Hambantota, with the Gold Coast poised to win this race.Australia will be hosting again after only 12 years (since Melbourne 06). For 2018, there were NO bids from Canada (last hosted in 94), South Africa (never hosted, and is going to bid for the 2020 olympics instead), New Zealand (last hosted in 1990), Singapore (never hosted, instead went for the 2010 Youth Olympics), Nigeria (bid for 2014, got their fingers burned and thought: “why bother?”). There were no bids from Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago etc.
The CWG and in danger of alternating between the UK and Australia (NZ has been prioced out of hosting the CWG)
I can see the following hosting pattern: Gold Coast 2018, Cardiff 2022, Adelaide 2026, Sheffield 2030, Canberra 2034, Edinburgh 2038, Hobart 2042, Birmingham 2046.
October 15th 2010 @ 3:45pm
Brian said | October 15th 2010 @ 3:45pm | Report comment
I agree being in Delhi was the only interesting facet of the event. Bring on Lagos, Cape Town, Kingston, Ccolombo, KL
October 16th 2010 @ 7:17pm
Dan Winters said | October 16th 2010 @ 7:17pm | Report comment
Exactly Brian. I agree with what you say. But to result in places like Kingston, Lagos, Columbo or Sri Lanka hosting the CGF (Commonwealth Games Federation) need to do what FIFA did and say “only African bids for 2010 please,” followed by “only South American bids for 2014.” This has resulted in South Africa 2010 (which was a successfully staged tournament) and Brazil 2014.
Because so far as bidding for the commonwealth games is concerned, countries like Australia will always offer the CGF a blank cheque and put together bids that run into billions of dollars, outpricing smaller less financially prosperuos countries from Africa or the Caribbean. eg. Glasgow was selected ahead of Abuja, Nigeria for 2014. The Gold Coast is poised to be awarded 2018, ahead of Hambantota, Sri Lanka. Same repetitive pattern.
Before anyone (from the “I love the CWG crowd”) mentions Delhi 2010, let me point out that Delhi was only awarded the games after repetitive bidding. Delhi had previously bid for the commonwealth games but was rejected. For the 1994
Commonwealth games, Victoria, BC, Canada was chosen ahead of Delhi. Then India bid for 2010, defeating Hamilton, Canada. But who knows maybe Delhi only won 2010 because they didn’t face a big name world faous global city eg. Toronto, Montreal, Sydney, Singapore, London?
October 15th 2010 @ 5:04pm
gurudoright said | October 15th 2010 @ 5:04pm | Report comment
I would love to see KL host it again, from memory it was a good games they hosted. Most of the venues would still be there and may only need upgrade for the games. C’mon KL 2022
October 16th 2010 @ 7:24pm
Dan Winters said | October 16th 2010 @ 7:24pm | Report comment
gurudorght – I agree, Kuala Lumpur did a great job in 1998, and some of the venues were truly olympic standard. Kuala Lumpur built a new 100,000 seater athletics stadium for example, which would make a great home for the summer olympics one day maybe?
However, I doubt whether KL would bid for the CWG again – since 1998, Kuala Lumpur has moved on, and are now setting their sites on bigger, better sporting events than the commonwealth games, which is a 3rd tier sporting event in today’s sporting calendar.
Kuala Lumpur bid for the 2008 Summer olympics, 2010 Youth Olympics, 2006 Asian Games and a bid is being considered for the 2019 Asian Games. Perhaps another city in Malaysia might be interested in hosting the commonwealth games in the future?