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Victoria was announced as the 2026 host last March after organisers had struggled to find an appropriate location.
The Australian state of Victoria has pulled out as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the predicted cost of the event blew out of proportion.
According to reports by CNN, State Premier Daniel Andrews said that initial estimates had put the cost at $1.7 billion (approximately Ksh 240,550,000,000), but new estimates had put it closer to $4.77 billion (approximately Ksh 674,955,000,000).
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07:00 - 18.07.2023
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“I’ve made a lot of difficult calls, a lot of very difficult decisions, in this job. This is not one of them. Frankly, six to seven billion dollars for a 12-day sporting event. We are not doing that.
"That does not represent value for money. That is all cost and no benefit. I will not take money out of hospitals and schools in order to fund an event that is three times the cost (which) is estimated and budgeted for last year.
"In terms of where we go from here, the Games will not proceed in Victoria in 2026. We have informed Commonwealth Games authorities of our decision to seek to terminate the contract and to not conduct, not host the Games,” he said, as per Inside the Games.
Victoria was announced as the 2026 host last March after organisers had struggled to find an appropriate location due to a lack of interest and Covid-19 disruptions. Its decision to pull out throws the next edition of the Games into doubt.
07:00 - 18.07.2023
ATHLETICS Eliud Kipchoge on why Berlin Marathon is essential as he prepares for Paris Olympics
In the Olympics, Kipchoge will be looking to become the first man to win three successive marathon titles.
The Games were intended to be held in 2026 between March 17 and March 29 in five regional Victoria centers in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland, and Shepparton, with Melbourne staging the Opening Ceremony
Meanwhile, in a statement on Tuesday, the Commonwealth Games Federation said the decision was very disappointing for the Commonwealth Sports Movement and suggested that Victorian authorities hadn’t previously raised cost concerns.
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“We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours’ notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the Government.
"This is hugely disappointing for the Commonwealth Sports Movement, for athletes around the Commonwealth, and for the Organising Committee who are well advanced in their planning and preparation. The reasons given are financial.
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15:00 - 17.07.2023
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"These are small details that must be addressed going into the qualifiers otherwise Kenya are not favorites," Firat said.
"The numbers quoted to us today of $6 billion are 50 percent more than those advised to the Organising Committee Board at its meeting in June,” the statement read in part.
The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event involving thousands of athletes representing 72 Commonwealth countries and territories, held every four years. The last edition of the event, held in Birmingham, England in 2022, was the largest Games on record.
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