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. |