Gold Coast Wins Bid to Host 2018 Commonwealth Games

Australia’s Gold Coast have won the rights to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, after beating the emerging Sri Lankan city of Hambantota for the honour.

In voting at the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly on Friday, Gold Coast secured 43 votes to Hambantota’s 27.

Departing CGF president Jamaican Mike Fennell, said: “My sincere congratulations to Gold Coast theirs was a fantastic bid and they are a very, very worthy winner. Hambantota was also a very strong bid, and we have a duty to take the Games to new places, but the bid needs to be the right thing for the Commonwealth Games movement at the right time. This time Gold Coast was successful, but I hope Hambantota consider bidding again — their team were wonderful.”

The vote took place after the Evaluation Committee presented its report, following visits to both cities to assess the bids. Both cities launched their campaigns in Malaysia back in May, and submitted strong bids to host the Games.

The city of Gold Coast is a glitzy tourism hot spot, located on the coast of south east Queensland. Its bid team said they expected the event to create 30,000 jobs and provide a US$2-billion boost to the economy.

Media reports suggest work on the athletes village could start as early as next February.

The Indian city of Delhi hosted last year’s Games with Glasgow in Scotland down to stage the 2014 showpiece.