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Hosting Commonwealth Games, a worthy investment

The Southern city of Hambantota is making a strong bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. An international team of evaluators from the Commonwealth Games Federation toured Sri Lanka last week to gather first-hand information on the initial preparations made by the Hambantota 2018 Bid Committee, jointly headed by Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

Sri Lanka has a good chance of hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games, ahead of Australia's Gold Coast City which has also presented a strong bid. It would be a singular honour for Sri Lanka if the Hambantota 2018 Bid Committee could impress member countries of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Hosting high-profile Games of this magnitude would undoubtedly boost the country's image. More importantly, hosting mega Games such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games would pave the way for a massive social and economic transformation in the host city.

This would reflect greatly in the economic growth and social development of those countries.

Moreover, infrastructure facilities should be improved vastly when a city gets the green light to host any mega Games. Constructing road networks, stadia, hotels and other buildings such as convention centres would metamorphose an ordinary city to a super modern city. This trend has been widely seen in almost all cities which had hosted the Olympics, Commonwealth Games or Asian Games.

There are over 70 countries in the Commonwealth Games Federation. However, apart from the main stakeholders England and Australia, only a few countries, such as India and Malaysia have hosted the Commonwealth Games so far. Sri Lanka too targets a slot in that select lot and enjoys that rare honour.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said recently that his aim was not only to make Hambantota a port city but also a sports city. He has extended his fullest support and State patronage for the 2018 Hambantota Commonwealth Games bid. A sea port, airport and sport would be the Government's ultimate objective for this "future" city which would be developed and brought on par with Colombo, or perhaps even better.

Phase one of the Magampura International Harbour has already been completed. Construction work on the Mattala International Airport is going on at a rapid pace. The adjoining town of Sooriyawewa also had the rare distinction of hosting the 2011 ICC World Cup matches. The road network in Hambantota would be further developed with the completion of the Southern Expressway. The Colombo-Matara rail track has been redone and plans are under way to extend the southern railway track to Hambantota and Kataragama.

All these mega infrastructure development projects would be completed in a few years. Hambantota could then hold its own with any other major city in the world. The sunny beaches and quick access roads to the Wet Zone and upcountry areas would give a distinct advantage to Hambantota as the latest sports destination in the world.

Regrettably, there are some sinister attempts by interested parties to project a gloomy picture on the budget that is needed to host the Games. A section of the local media made a song and dance of it by quoting a staggering amount and even went to the extent of adding the cost of constructing five-star hotels that are to be built by foreign investors.

The filing of such media reports was motivated by sheer malice engineered by some disgruntled Opposition politicians, who are trying to seek maximum political mileage.

These die-hard critics fail to realise that the large sums of money to be expended on infrastructure development are an investment for the future.

The highways, airport, port, rail tracks and stadia constructed would continue to remain even after the Games are over and the masses would be the ultimate beneficiaries of those facilities. It's time to think in broader terms and evaluate the long-term benefits to the nation by hosting Games of this magnitude.

Gone are the days when cricketers of Tissamaharama had to travel all the way to Galle or Colombo for practice on turf wickets. Thanks to the praiseworthy efforts of Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, the people in Hambantota district witnessed World Cup cricket in their hometown. A few years ago, nobody even in their wildest dreams would have guessed that World Cup cricket under floodlights would come to a remote city such as Hambantota. When the idea was initially mooted, some people dismissed it, saying it would never be a reality in their current birth. But all those critics had to swallow their words eventually. The Sooriyawewa Cricket Stadium and the arrival of international cricket to Sooriyawewa made over 300 families millionaires overnight. This was chiefly due to the land value along the stretch of road to the stadium going up sharply. This is merely one lucid example of the indirect dividends that would accrue as a result of hosting mega sports events.

Commonwealth Games could set the stage for greater dividends not only for those living in the Hambantota district but also the entire country. Foreign sportsmen and women would leave Sri Lanka's shores after the Games but infrastructure development and other facilities would benefit all and sundry. On the other hand, hosting such Games would also attract a greater number of tourists. Sri Lanka's widespread popularity as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world could be used effectively to promote the country and woo more tourists to the country to witness the Games. This would be an added advantage in the long run as these tourists would revisit Sri Lanka. They would also spread the message of Sri Lanka's heritage and culture and moreover, recommend Sri Lanka to their friends and loved ones as an ideal holiday destination.

Hosting the Games would also attract more potential investors. With the dawn of peace and the conducive environment for business, Sri Lanka could also be promoted as one of the best locations for foreign investors. In this context, should one merely go by the total capital investment that is needed to host the Commonwealth Games? We must do a careful study of the advantages the country and its people could gain, both directly and indirectly by hosting high-profile Games of this nature that would attract thousands of participants and guests from over 70 countries. Sri Lanka could demonstrate to the world that its forward march to become the Wonder of Asia is fast becoming a reality.

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