Like many Commonwealth Games events, this wasn’t much of a contest for Australia. With due respect to the Sri Lankan coastal town of Hambantota, Gold Coast always appeared a winner in this two-horse race.
Still scarred from the bungled 2010 Delhi Games, the Commonwealth Games general assembly had a simple choice: gamble or not.
In the words of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s own evaluation committee, Hambantota presented a “medium to high risk”; the Gold Coast a “low risk”.
The CGF general assembly were not willing to put their heads on a proverbial chopping block so soon after the corrupted Delhi Games.
So on Saturday, they awarded the 2018 event to Gold Coast – the fifth time the Games will be held in Australia.
» FULL GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCHEDULE
No other nation will have staged the Commonwealth Games more times.
And none so soon again. The Gold Coast Games – from April 4-15, 2018 and featuring 17 sports – will happen 12 years after the successful Melbourne Games.
“The Commonwealth Games are really important to Australia,” Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite says.
“Not only to our athletes, but the people of Australia have a very soft spot in their heart for the Commonwealth Games and they support them.
“Holding the Games in Australia will always be a positive thing for the Games.”
And after Delhi, the Commonwealth Games need positivity.
Crosswhite genuinely congratulated the Sri Lankans for a “very creative bid”.
But Hambantota – an agricultural district in south-eastern Sri Lanka with a population of around 530,000 – currently has no international airport and just 1009 accommodation rooms.
There is a recently built cricket ground in the town devastated by the 2004 tsunami, but other Games stadia and an athletes’ village needed to built at a cost of $A1.71 billion – an infrastructure program the CGF’s evaluation commission described as a “relatively high risk”.
In Hambantota, the evaluation commission said “the majority of telecommunications infrastructure required for the Games venues does not currently exist”.
The commission said Hambantota’s security arrangements were “untested”, while the Gold Coast had “mature security and emergency services structures in place and extensive, relevant experience in securing major sporting and other events”.
Such factors made it nigh-on impossible for the assembly – 71 members of the Commonwealth Games Associations each entitled to one vote – to plump for Hambantota.
So the tourist mecca Gold Coast will host the first Commonwealth Games held in a regional city, under the slogan: “It’s Our Time To Shine”.
The downsizing is a significant pointer to the future of a sporting event with a slipping foothold on the sporting landscape.
“The model we’re doing for the Gold Coast is having the Games in a smaller size city, around 500,000 people, compared to say in Delhi where we had 14 million people,” Crosswhite says, adding previous Games were staged in large cities Melbourne, Manchester and Kuala Lumpur.
“We think the Games can be held in a smaller size city, smaller venues … it’s about quality rather than quantity.
“That is the regional Games model we’re proposing … and making sure that when the Games are finished, there are no white elephants as in the past.”
The main stadium at Carrara, to be used for opening and closing ceremonies and athletics, seats only 25,000 people although temporary seating will cater for another 15,000 come the Games.
Most other Gold Coast competition venues will be smaller scale than at previous Games – although the city’s aquatic centre will be redeveloped with a new pool and seating for 10,000 spectators.
Track cycling and shooting events will be staged in Brisbane, with preliminary basketball matches in Cairns and Townsville
The Gold Coast bid detailed capital expenditure of $A889.17 million – including $A620.24m for an athletes’ village and $A105.7m for six new Games venues.
All new venues are scheduled for completion in 2016, with the Queensland government guaranteeing to fund any shortfall from organising committee monies.
Karl
Guest
Also Okiee,,the Gold Coast is not a City,,,,,the Gold Coast is a Region...the Gold Coasts City is actually Brisbane. The Gold Coast will in the Future be blended in with the rest of Brisbane's southern sister suburbs like Logan .....
Karl
Guest
Okiee,,,,,,Gold Coast Infastructure is pathetic,,,,,,,the Roads here are a disaster,, the M1 Hwy is like what Hwys were in the USA in the 1950's The Gold Coast,,,is not Miami Florida ,,,,,which has a Central downtown city and a Central Business District,,, The Gold Coast has Surfers which is nothing more than a Tourist strip..full of Drunken Schoolies,and Strip clubs..and yes Yobbo's. The Gold Coast exists on Small Business,and a tourist industry which has been in decline for 5 years. The 1994 Soccer World Cup,in the USA,,,,had before estimates of $4Billion in economic Growth, it ended at a total complete loss of $9 Billion dollars, Total waste of money. The Gold Coast City Council is broke No money,,,but begged for the Games,it will be an economic disaster and will cost Tax payers Billions in future loss......total complete waste of Billions of Dollars...................... Sporting events likes these are just Fantasy Land ,,for Politicians..
stabpass
Guest
OK, that is a fair way off, the GC is growing at a good rate, i hope they will be able to get 40,000 to a game., if the seating is like that, then you obviously use it.
TW
Guest
We are talking about from 2018 on - That is 7 seasons away which could see the Suns in their "AFL Premiership" window. We are currently assuming that if the Suns are in the finals at that time they will play at the Gabba.(40,000) - Maybe not. The seating is temporary and can be easily put up and pulled down. The Suns will not walk away easily from a possible home based AFL Final.
oikee
Guest
Ian, i am not sure what you mean. i just gave you facts about what the games mean to up and coming cities. And is why smaller cities should be bidding for the Commonwealth games. Besides that, i dont know if you know the Gold Coast, if you realise that a Train system has long held back proper transport along the coastal strip. The Gold Coast has always been a glitter strip, run down abit lately and needs a lift to take it to a higher place, this is that lift. Ian, i like Bridges and are ready to buy. I have always rated the Kurilpa bridge and now it has won a world transport award. You could sell me that, but i have already bought it. :) Milz, the Commonwealth games "can and will" do more for Queensland than a rugby cup could ever do. For a start, a rugby world cup has to be shared around the country. The Commonwealth games focus is on 1 city and some minor outsourcing. 700 million just on a village, and a rail network for the whole length of the Gold Coast. ? Mate, your kidding if you think a rugby cup could ever acheive this for the Gold Coast. Plus 30 thousand fulltime jobs after the games are gone, plus all the work up until the games in 7 years time, not to mention new builds. Your kidding yourself if you think one sport apart from the soccer world cup could acheive as much as commonwealth or Olmypic games, where sport is spread across all devides. Lawn bowls get a upgrade at Broabbeach, Basketball right up to Townsville get upgrades, Shooting ranges, Hockey fields, Swimming pools, bike Velodrome. Mountain bike tracks, railway lines fast-tracked now, new building projects to meet new demand, Mate the list goes on and on. You really dont have a clue. Look at Brisbane, it was a 700 thousand town when we first got the Commonwealth games, now look at this city, world class convention centres, World class foot Bridges, world class southbank, world class Museums and Libaries, world class citycats now 19 boats in total. Brisbane alone is spending around 2.4 billion dollars on just one suburb, "Showground Hill". They have another 2 billion sitting out at a Wacol development and across the road at Springfeild, another completely new suburb that is to become a city centre in their own right, bigger than Brisbane CBD. This all started by holding the Commonwealth games in Brisbane, 1982. Now sit back and watch the coast grow. Like i said, i will be pumping thousands into this event when it arrives, i dont care what others do, if they want to mumble and whinge, that is not my concern, because i had a damm ball when Brisbane got the games, and Expo was still the most exciting event i have ever been to in my life, 50 times bigger than any sporting event. We had 16 million visitors come to expo, i can vouch for that because i lived practically, plus i also worked their, it was unreel. Everyone had a ball every single day for 6 months. Nothing has ever come close.
stabpass
Guest
Would have to agree, a 25,000 seat stadium sounds about right for the GC, maybe a final or games against Collingwood, Brisbane may creep up to that, but in general 40,000 seems to be to much. AFAIK, you need a minimum 40,000 seater to host a AFL final. I have also heard/read conflicting reports that, the stadium will be downsized once the games are over, and that the GC Suns really only hope to get a good carpark out of all this, so ....... IMO most ways you look at it, the GCFC will do really well, .... membership, crowds, ground, sponsors, grass roots development etc ... with their ground rights at Metricon being the key.
The Bush
Roar Guru
"The Suns will need every one of those seats in few years time as their popularity grows up there – Those new seats should be made permanent after 2018." Do you do stand-up as well? Mate, the Lions, who have existed for a quarter-century, don't even average 30,000 in a city that is three (3) times larger. Maybe the Suns should focus on selling out the current Carrara before they look too far ahead...
Milz
Guest
Oikee, I think you may find the rugby world cup and the basketball world championship are significantly more important than this antiquated out relic of the British empire. Utter utter waste of tax payer money from a government that has already driven the state into record debt. Don't know about you, but I'd rather watch the Broncos/Reds/Lions than travel down the coast to see the Cook Islands play Zaire in Tiddly Winks.
Milz
Guest
Agreed Damien. Australia, the UK, Canada and a whole lot of third world countries don't make for a first rate sporting event.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Oikee, If you believe all that, I have a bridge to sell you, at a very reasonable rate.
oikee
Guest
Winning the commonwealth games is close to the best thing a city can do these days. Yes holding the Olympics and a soccer world cup are bigger, but they also come at a price for the host nations. So the Commonwealth games can transport a city and give it a much needed boost. Here are a few benifits of holding these games. 2 billion in investments, (rail, games village, upgrades to facilities, plus knew facilities.) Hotel accommondation and new hotels will be added to the coast. Just at this present time the coast are on their last project, so a games winning bid is now huge boost for new builds. Tourists, mate the coast is a fantastic place, it really needed a shot in the arm, getting light rail running along the whole glitter strip will finally invigerate the whole coastline. Plus heavy rail is now going ahead, so from the tweed to Brisbane will all benefit. Jobs, mate they say 30 thousand permanent jobs, i say this is conservitive, i think this will grow the coast over the next 5-10 years towards a one million city. That is massive. The future connection this will have on Brisbane and the coast will drive growth for the next 50 years, the coast needed this boost, it was gwetting a bad name for itself, undeserved i must add. They are predicting 120 thousand interstate and overseas tourists,,,,plus 30 thousand competitors. Like i said, they are fun, and during April the weather should be near perfect. The Gold Coast have vertually signed their paper to become a major Queensland city. They have the buildings and lifestyle, now they will get infrastructure and investment. They will be well on their way to becoming a 1 million city. The Gold Coast is beautiful, it gets a bad rap by yobbo's, hopefully this will also clean the yobbo's up as well. Brisbane went through the same process 20 odd year ago, look at our city now, heading towards 2 odd million in 20 short years.
Gold Sir
Guest
no
The Cattery
Roar Guru
the commonwealth games are pretty cheap
Hansie
Guest
How much taxpayers money will be wasted on this anachronism? The Comm Games are a non-event these days.
oikee
Guest
It will be fun, and dare i say it will really put the Gold Coast on the map. Brisbanites will love the nostalgic romance of travelling to the coast and back, just like the old days. I cant wait, "is it here yet".
TW
Guest
enthusiasm, Yes it looks like a fantasy to some now and obviously you in 2011. Have poured a bit of alcohol down the throat in the past but have steered clear of the modern drugs that are hip in many quarters today. However you seem to know a bit about it.
enthusiasm
Guest
I find your fantasy amusing but crack will rot your brain so give it up.
TW
Guest
The bit about the temporary seating expansion of 15,000 seats to take capacity to 40,000 is very relevant to the future of the Gold Coast Suns. The Suns will need every one of those seats in few years time as their popularity grows up there - Those new seats should be made permanent after 2018. The AFL can take some credit for the Games being held up there. Rectangular Stadiums just dont cut it in the world of athletics.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Congratulations to Queensland and the Gold Coast, and thank goodness the AFL was willing to subsidise the refurbishment of Carrara.
oikee
Guest
I think this is a great idea, and should be the focus of the games to hold the events in slightly smaller cities, to allow for growth. Not only that, i do love the games and show more of a interest when it is in our country, unlike Delhi where it all got lost in the eather. Be a nice little kick for the coast around the time the global economy will be recovering hopefully. Very good, i give the members a big tick for making the right decision.