Sri Lanka vs Australia: 2018 Commonwealth Games bid, Vote on Saturday

[Lankan Ranger]

Sri Lanka vs Australia: 2018 Commonwealth Games bid, Vote on Saturday

Bid teams from Sri Lanka & Australia are making their final pitches to Commonwealth Games Federation delegates on the Caribbean island of St Kitts, spending the next few days in formal and informal talks ahead of the weekend’s announcement of the winning bidder.

The 2018 Games host will be announced on Saturday morning Queensland time, after a vote from the 71 Commonwealth delegates.

Gold Coast 2018 bid chief executive Mark Peters revealed to brisbanetimes.com.au last year the Sri Lankan city Hambantota was a serious threat of winning the bid, due in part to the growing influence of China in many voting Commonwealth countries.

"They have a very strong legacy argument that could go over strongly with some of the African and Caribbean countries," he said.

And it’s those countries Hambantota 2018 Organising Committee co-chairman Ajith Nivard Cabraal has appealed to ahead of the announcement

In their pitch to CGF delegates, the Sri Lankan delegation pointed out Australia had already hosted the event four times, in 1938 (Sydney), 1962 (Perth), 1982 (Brisbane) and 2006 (Melbourne).

In their pitch to CGF delegates, the Sri Lankan delegation pointed out Australia had already hosted the event four times, in 1938 (Sydney), 1962 (Perth), 1982 (Brisbane) and 2006 (Melbourne).

“We want to share our enthusiasm for these Games and show that other countries can get involved,” Mr Cabraal said.

“The Hambantota 2018 bid will also give huge encouragement to the other 61 nations that have never hosted the Games and may wish to do so.”

Mr Cabraal said a Hambantota Commonwealth Games would ‘‘secure long-term social and economic benefits and drive sustainable development throughout our unified nation”.

“It will make such a difference to the lives of young people in Sri Lanka and deliver a legacy with huge benefits for future generations,’’ he said.

‘‘But it will also be life-changing for our friends throughout the Commonwealth.”

‘‘It’s really just a judgment call. We’ve been right through all the news articles and we’re probably a little bit biased,’’ Sportsbet.com.au spokesman Haydn Lane said.

‘‘But, with respect to the Hambantotans, we think the Gold Coast has a far better set-up and therefore are deserved favourites.’’

Games bid team appeals to underdog status

 

[Lankan Ranger]

 

[Lankan Ranger]

Murali in support of Hambantota 2018 bid

Muttiah Muralitharan, the most successful bowler in the history of cricket, is to play a key role in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota 2018 bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

He is part of a delegation travelling to the Caribbean next week to make a crucial final presentation to those who will vote for either Hambantota or Australia’s Gold Coast.

The decision will be made at the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) general assembly in St. Kitts & Nevis next Friday, November 11, at 6.00 p.m. Sri Lanka time.

Muralitharan, rated ‘Leading Cricketer in the World’ in both 2000 and 2006 by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, said: "I still remember the glory of winning the Cricket World Cup in 1996. We (Sri Lanka) will have the same glory by being the host city of the Commonwealth Games in 2018."

It was against Australia that a 20-year old Muralitharan made his Test debut on 28 August 1992.

Now, after a 19-year playing career in which he has taken a world-record 800 Test wickets and world-record 534 One Day International (ODI) wickets, he is looking to bowl-over the voting Commonwealth nations and territories with what has been dubbed ‘the life-changing bid.’

Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Hambantota 2018 Organising Committee Co-Chairman, said: “Murali is a sporting legend. Cricket's highest wicket-taker in both forms of the international game; the first player to take 1,000 wickets combined. We hope he can help deliver another first – a Sri Lankan Commonwealth Games that itself will deliver so much for our unified nation and our people.”

The news comes as another sporting legend, Kenyan Kipchoge ‘Kip’ Keino – who is standing for CGF vice-president in St. Kitts – claimed the race to host the Games will come down to the final presentations.

Mike Fennell, President of the CGF, stated he has no preference and will be happy whatever the outcome as he feels the candidates could both stage fantastic competitions.

Muralitharan is used to making the last delivery count.

At the start of his last Test match, he stood eight short of 800 Test wickets.

At the fall of the ninth wicket of India’s second innings he still needed one wicket to reach the milestone.

After 90 minutes of resistance he finally dismissed the last batsman on not only the final ball of the over – but the last of his entire Test career.

He averaged over six wickets per Test and holds several world records and firsts.

As well as the most career wickets in both Test and ODI cricket, he has the unique distinction of taking 10 or more wickets in a match against all other nine Test playing nations.

He has taken 10 wickets in a Test match a world-record 22 times and also has the most five-wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (67); Australia’s Shane Warne follows having performed the feat 37 times.

Bowled by Muralitharan – ‘b Muralitharan’ – is the most common dismissal in Test cricket, excluding run-out.

Yet it is as much for his off-field contributions that Muralitharan is seen as the ideal flag-bearer for a bid that promises to rejuvenate the tear-drop shaped nation following its reconciliation.

He serves as a Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness, a charitable organisation set-up in 1999 by his manager Kushil Gunasekera.

It supports local communities through a range of projects across areas including children & education, healthcare, livelihoods, sport and the environment.

“For most cricket fans, he was simply a great bowler. For Sri Lankans, he was and remains so much more,” said Cabraal, also Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Cabraal believes hosting the Games will see the country stake claims for medals in the same way it has done extraordinarily well in cricket.

Admitted as a Test-plating nation in 1981, Sri Lanka won the World Cup just 15 years later (1996) and finished runners-up in both 2007 and this year, when Hambantota itself staged two matches.

Now this world-renowned passion for cricket is turning to a wide range of other sports, he adds.

General: Murali in support of Hambantota 2018 bid

 

[RezRoll]

I hope Sri Lanka gets it.

Australia has already hosted this event so many times, time to give a chance to Sri Lanka.

 

[Jackdaws]

I have a feeling Lanka will win this and deservedly too. I am sure the Lankans would do a fantastic job. It is a truly beautiful country - nothing against Australia, but they have already hosted many international events including the Sydney Olympics.

 

[American Pakistani]

I truly wish & hope our Lankan brothers get it.

 

[Splurgenxs]

i personally think Srilanka is doing a tremendous job ..its it bid to host the Commnwealth games..

But on a cold serious note Sirilanka's world prestige is still not recognized enough to be competing with Australia..

Australia has an age to it, tht gives it more of a standing to be selected for the CWG...relatively Sirilanka is still young

Anyways has Australia hosted tht CWG before...cus if it has then ..sirilanka has the advantage

 

[IndoCarib]

My vote for SL

 

[Hyde]

my vote is for Sri Lanka but i guess Australia will win it because the commonwealth games were recently organized in this subcontinent and they wouldn't want to see it happening so early once again

 

[Che Guevara]

Commonwealth Games: Sri Lanka hails Australia over 2018 hosting

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's President congratulated Australia Saturday for being chosen as the home of the 2018 Commonwealth Games and said his nation would aim to do well at the games despite a failed bid to host them.

"I congratulate Australia and at the same time I want to thank the private sector of Sri Lanka which contributed to our very credible and impressive bid," President Mahinda Rajapakse said as he returned from the Maldives.

Gold Coast beat Sri Lanka's Hambantota in a vote at the Commonwealth Games Federation's general assembly in the Caribbean nation of St Kitts and Nevis, with the result announced Friday evening.

Rajapakse said his home constituency of Hambantota, in Sri Lanka's south, had proposed a green-field development to host the Games, but the loss in favour of Queensland's Gold Coast would not hold back the island's athletes.

"This should serve as an added encouragement for them to go to Gold Coast and do very well," Rajapakse said.

The 2010 Games in Delhi proved troubled, with the sporting headlines eclipsed by venue delays, shoddy construction and budget overruns that tripled the cost of the event to $6 billion.

Coastal Hambantota was badly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and had brought in cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan to boost its campaign message that hosting the Games would have helped regenerate Sri Lanka.

The previous three Games -- bringing together athletes from 71 Commonwealth countries -- were held in Melbourne, Manchester and Kuala Lumpur. The 2014 event will be held in Glasgow.

Commonwealth Games: Sri Lanka hails Australia over 2018 hosting - The Times of India

 

[alibaz]

My choice was Sri Lanka but congratulation to Australia for being chosen

 

[Super Falcon]

my vote is for srilanka australia have done it before i think if common wealth give also this time to australia i think they are doing discremination between the countries if country is not rich they dont host if country is rich they bound to give it chances to host games as many times as they want