The Hambantota Commonwealth Games 2018 bid committee (OC) on Friday expressed its gratitude to all who supported the Sri Lankan bid, particularly the 27 countries who voted in favour of Hambantota.
The OC said in a statement that although the bid did not achieve the desired objective of winning the rights to host the 2018 Games, it created a significant tangible and intangible positive impression about Sri Lanka. “In particular, it displayed the country’s ability to formulate and carry through a complex concept, successfully.
It also inspired the nation and improved the country’s rehabilitation and reconciliation process. Further, it served to show-case and fine-tune the country’s ambitious 7-year plan to develop sports in the country,” the statement added.
The positive attributes of the bid also helped to develop Sri Lanka’s vision and plan for the new Information Technology cum University City in Hambantota, which plan was further improved and refined through the close scrutiny of the plan by the CGF Evaluation Commission.
The OC said the Sri Lankan government’s investment was around US$ 1 million with the balance investment in the bid of around US$ 7 million coming from contributions and committments by the private sector.
The private sector participation ranged from direct financial contributions to discounted and gratis services such as architectural, management, accounting, accommodation, travel, etc., to logistical, IT, telecom services, as well as to the direct participation at the many events connected with the bid.
The OC said Hambantota’s unique Sports City has now been hailed as a “blue print” for future sports cities in the world, and as a highly practical and outstanding concept, by the CGF Evaluation Commission.
Such a public acknowledgement could pave the way for future international level games to be organized and hosted in Hambantota and in Sri Lanka.
The Hambantota bid drew many positives. Malaysia’s Prince Tunku Imran, the new Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President, said: “Sri Lanka has demonstrated quite clearly that a country like Sri Lanka does have the capability of hosting the Games. As a Federation, we have to encourage others by convincing them there are real benefits of hosting the Games.”
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