Lobbying steps up as Games decision looms

Gold Coast’s Mark Stockwell and Sri Lanka´s Ajith Nivard Cabraal in the Caribbean yesterday

There has been last minute lobbying ahead of Saturday’s announcement of the host city for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Queensland’s Gold Coast and Hambantota in Sri Lanka are the only cities vying for the hosting rights.

Seventy-one delegates from the six Commonwealth regions have gathered on the island of St Kitts in the West Indies for the secret ballot.

The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.

Both cities have spent millions of dollars on their bids, but Perry Crosswhite from the Australian Commonwealth Games Association says making money is not the bottom line.

“Your best situation is a break-even situation,” he said.

Mr Crosswhite says he thinks delegates will choose the Gold Coast.

“For their athletes, their sports and for the good of the Commonwealth Games in the future,” he said.

Griffith University economist Dr Ross Guest says there is more at stake than money.

“It makes people feel good, there’s a pride in hosting the Games and it has a spillover effect on spending,” he said.

However, political analyst Dr Paul Williams says the Gold Coast’s image has been tarnished of late.

“It’s not had the best PR in the last 12 months in terms of crime,” he said.

Griffith University research fellow Dr Ashutosh Misra says Hambantota has struggled too, with delegates keeping a close eye on the volatile region.

“There is a risk for security but I think it’s not as huge as it used to be five years ago when the war was on,” Dr Misra said.

Dr Misra thinks Oceania, Africa, Asia and Europe will vote for the Sri Lankan city, with only the Americas and Caribbean delegates voting independently. - ABC