Sri Lanka Try to host Commonwealth Games (CWG) in 2018

[Fasih Khan]

Wish you all the Best Sri Lankan

 

[CardSharp]

WILL MAKE ‘MAXIMUM EFFORT TO FULFILL SRI LANKA’S NEEDS’ - CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER

Sri Lanka, having rid itself of terrorism and embarked on the course of accelerated economic development with determination, should receive the support of the international community in achieving its objectives, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi has told Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris in Beijing.

He added that China, for her part, would make the maximum effort to fulfill Sri Lanka’s needs as the country addresses itself to the task of attempting to use its natural strengths to improve the lives of its citizens, with the dawn of peace and stability.

Countries big and small have their own problems, and it is important to remember that solutions have to be found to suit the circumstances of each situation in keeping with the wishes of the country in question without hectoring or pressure from outside, he said.

Prof. Peiris informed China’s Foreign Minister that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa had held its first public sitting on the previous day and commenced its work.

Thanking Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi for China’s generous assistance with regard to infrastructure development in Sri Lanka, Minister Peiris said that Sri Lanka was proud of her achievement in securing a growth rate of 7% in respect of her economy.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa considered it even more important to ensure that the benefits of this development should be enjoyed equitably throughout the Island, especially in the rural sector, the Minister added.

From this perspective, Sri Lanka particularly appreciates China’s role in contributing massively to the development of ports and harbours, highways and other infrastructure facilities in regions of the Island which had hitherto been relatively neglected, Prof. Peiris said.

In an address delivered to the China Institute of International Studies, which was attended by leading members of the diplomatic community and representatives of local as well as international media in Beijing, Prof. Peiris explained Sri Lanka’s experience in defeating terrorism and putting the country on the fast track of economic development and national reconciliation.

The Minister also addressed a largely attended Investment Forum at the Shangri-La Kerry Centre in Beijing for leading entrepreneurs of China, co-hosted by the Embassy of Sri Lanka and the China Chamber of Commerce for Export & Import of Machinery and Electronics.

Sri Lanka News-Adaderana-Truth First - Will make ‘maximum effort to fulfill Sri Lanka’s needs’ - China’s Foreign Minister tells Prof. GL

So it's official China has thrown her weight behind Sri Lanka's campaign for the common wealth games.

 

[RobbieS]

Well good for Sri Lanka. I hope they do a better and quicker job of it than we did.

But I dont think they're going to give to any South Asian country anytime soon. 8 years is too short a time to give it to another South Asian country. Australia. SA (dont know if they're officially bidding yet) or any other country have a better shot at it.

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Good luck Sri Lanka,hope you learn from our mistakes.

 

[CardSharp]

Good luck Sri Lanka,hope you learn from our mistakes.

Hopefully China can pass on a little of the Beijing 2008 magic and I think the CWGs will be just as symbolic for Sri Lanka as the Olympics were for China. If it wins the CWGs it will have officially left the specter of civil war behind and be on the road to economic success.

 

[Lankan Ranger]

Commonwealth Member Countries

Antigua and Barbuda
Jamaica
St Lucia
Australia
Kenya
St Vincent and the Grenadines
The Bahamas
Kiribati
Samoa
Bangladesh
Lesotho
Seychelles
Barbados
Malawi
Sierra Leone
Belize
Malaysia
Singapore
Botswana
Maldives
Solomon Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Malta
South Africa
Cameroon
Mauritius
Sri Lanka
Canada
Mozambique
Swaziland
Cyprus
Namibia
Tonga
Dominica
Nauru
Trinidad and Tobago
Fiji Islands
New Zealand
Tuvalu
The Gambia
Nigeria
Uganda
Ghana
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Grenada
Papua New Guinea
United Republic of Tanzania
Guyana
Rwanda
Vanuatu
India
St Kitts and Nevis
Zambia

Some Countries already confirmed there vote for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will get the CWG, We are confident

 

[Hafizzz]

Sri Lanka Try to host Commonwealth Games (CWG) in 2018

No one but suspicious Australians are talking about it but China could be the ace up Sri Lanka’s sleeve in its bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG).

The town of Hambantota, some 260 km south of Colombo, and Australia’s Gold Coast paid 60000 pounds and picked up the bidding documents for CWG 2018 earlier this year.

The final bids have to be submitted by May 30, 2011 and the winner will be announced in on November 11 next year.

``We will put up a fighting challenge (against Gold Coast). Things are moving,’’ Keheliya Rambukwella, minister of mass media, told HT.

It would have to start moving fast because at present the hot, arid town only has an under-construction cricket stadium to talk of as sports infrastructure.

The beginning hasn’t been great. A plan to put up a stall at Ashok hotel in New Delhi to publicise the bid during the New Delhi games fell through because of lack of preparation.

But one advantage the town has that it is in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home district and he has grand plans to transform it into Lanka’s biggest city after Colombo.

To my question whether Colombo will ask Beijing to chip in with building sports infrastructure in the town, Rambukwella said the help of all ``our friends will be solicited’’ for putting up the infrastructure.

With Beijing-Colombo current relations more snug than ever, China could even use its influence, say over African countries, to ensure that Sri Lanka wins the bid. And it is expected that if Hambantota wins, China will then gladly step in with its decades-long experience in ``stadium diplomacy’’.

It is already currently Sri Lanka’s largest donor and is building a $ 1.5 billion port on Hambantota’s coast.

No one is more acutely aware of China’s deep pockets and the quiet diplomatic influence it might wield in favour of Sri Lanka than Australian officials like Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke.

``China is supporting them and China has got lots of money to build new facilities…So if they want to call in their charge, then no matter how it appears on the surface, that would have an influence on votes (to decide the bid winner),’’ Clarke told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday.

``We’re respecting their bid – there’s always that question about what does that Chinese investment mean for the bid, but no one has answers to those questions,’’ Mark Peters, Gold Coast bid chief executive told the newspaper.

``Chinese companies could easily build 15 stadiums and the games village in Hambantota,’’ National Olympic Committee president Hemasiri Fernando said, adding that at least 30 to 40 stadiums and training venues would be required to host the games.

Employees of two Chinese companies – China Harbour Engineering Company and Sino-Hydro Corporation -- are stationed in the town to build the port. Which also means construction equipment needed for big projects is already available there.

The `Hambantota 2018’ website says the town is in the ``grip’’ of a massive development. With China’s hold over developments in the region, it can afford to claim so.

Diplomatic games over CWG 2018 - Hindustan Times

Go Sri Lanka Go !!! Thumbs Up

 

[hecj]

Commonwealth Member Countries

Antigua and Barbuda
Jamaica
St Lucia
Australia
Kenya
St Vincent and the Grenadines
The Bahamas
Kiribati
Samoa
Bangladesh
Lesotho
Seychelles
Barbados
Malawi
Sierra Leone
Belize
Malaysia
Singapore
Botswana
Maldives
Solomon Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Malta
South Africa
Cameroon
Mauritius
Sri Lanka
Canada
Mozambique
Swaziland
Cyprus
Namibia
Tonga
Dominica
Nauru
Trinidad and Tobago
Fiji Islands
New Zealand
Tuvalu
The Gambia
Nigeria
Uganda
Ghana
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Grenada
Papua New Guinea
United Republic of Tanzania
Guyana
Rwanda
Vanuatu
India
St Kitts and Nevis
Zambia

Some Countries already confirmed there vote for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will get the CWG, We are confident

it seems u the chairman of u.n and cwg

 

[Lankan Ranger]

it seems u the chairman of u.n and cwg

Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry working hard to get the CWG for Sri Lanka, Highlighted Countries will vote for Sri Lanka. Highlighted Countries already conveyed there messages to Sri Lanka via there respected Embassies.

 

[hecj]

Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry working hard to get the CWG for Sri Lanka, Highlighted Countries will vote for Sri Lanka. Highlighted Countries already conveyed there messages to Sri Lanka via there respected Embassies.

it will be good if some another asian country to host this.last time canada tried it but didnt get.

one thing i want to tell u.which is bribe.let c to how many u can give bribe?.without bribe y others will give vote to u .it is not fair to even think that we will easily get vote.and china is not going to bribe for u to any body

 

[CardSharp]

it will be good if some another asian country to host this.last time canada tried it but didnt get.

one thing i want to tell u.which is bribe.let c to how many u can give bribe?.without bribe y others will give vote to u .it is not fair to even think that we will easily get vote.and china is not going to bribe for u to any body

You assume because Indian used bribes to get the CWGs that everyone has to? Shouldn't you be at least a bit ashamed of this kind of behaviour?

 

[SpArK]

Hmmm.. so its a direct competition with Australia for hosting the games..

I wish Srilanka wins it. Best of luck.

 

[Von Hölle]

You assume because Indian used bribes to get the CWGs that everyone has to? Shouldn't you be at least a bit ashamed of this kind of behaviour?

Don't be so naive to call it bribe, just because some newspapers wanting to add negative tinge to the story has ..had it really been a bribe and by the virtue of being a bribe an illegal act..would 79 countries have accepted it?and that to openly?

 

[Roby]

Sri Lanka will get the CWG, We are confident

$1bn bill to host 2018 games


TAXPAYERS face a $1 billion bill for Australia to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, after the Gold Coast emerged as the front-runner yesterday.

Australia's only rival to host the Games, Sri Lanka, failed to make its formal pitch to the Games Federation in New Delhi.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh made her slick 20-minute presentation without competition. But speaking from Delhi yesterday, Ms Bligh warned against complacency.

"I don't think for one minute that we're streets ahead of the competition, but I certainly like to think that our presentation yesterday -- in the absence of any competition -- has us with our best foot forward on Day One," Ms Bligh said.

"I'm actually a bit disappointed about (the Sri Lankan's withdrawal), because I wanted to see their strengths and weaknesses."

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been expected to address the federation's general assembly in support of Hambantota's bid on Saturday, but pulled out at the last minute. The shock withdrawal had many, including Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke, predicting the southern Sri Lankan city was considering withdrawing from the race.
Ms Bligh conceded holding the games would come at a financial cost of about $1bn, including money for a new athletes' village, a velodrome and upgrades for the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre and Carrara Stadium.

But she said the event would also accelerate much-needed civil infrastructure projects, such as a rapid transit system for the Gold Coast, Australia's largest regional city. "The Gold Coast is the fastest-growing city in the fastest-growing region of the country and . . . this could be the catalyst for the next phase," Ms Bligh said.

However, the Premier warned that many in the Commonwealth Games Federation were eager to share the "transformative" power of the event with the body's less-developed members. "I think they'll consider a range of factors," she said. "We're certainly not going to be putting our feet up."

The federal government traditionally tops up state spending on international events, contributing $103.3 million to the 2006 Melbourne games and $247.3m to the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

While the bulk of the commonwealth's help would be confined to security and intelligence matters, Ms Bligh said, Canberra had already begun contributing through its grant to the Gold Coast's Carrara Stadium to house the city's new AFL franchise.

The Gold Coast would be the first regional Australian city to host a Commonwealth 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).

With a 2001 population of 525,286, Hambantota district is undergoing a period of rapid growth, with world governments aiding its push to become a major port for shipping between Asia and Europe.

 

[hecj]

so who are the another countries in the line to host the cwg 2018?