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If the joint bid is successful, it would be the first time the Commonwealth Games is held in Alberta. Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, while Edmonton hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
Canadian cities Calgary and Edmonton are exploring a joint bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Sport Canada has announced.
The move comes after Hamilton, the Canadian city that launched the multi-sport event in 1930, failed to secure the necessary financial support,
Hamilton had been considered the frontrunner and preferred candidate to stage the centennial Games, proposing an operating budget of around C$1 billion CDN ($727 million).
Hamilton’s proposal sought to have the private sector contribute between $250 million to $500 million. However, the city was unable to obtain the required government backing by Commonwealth Sport Canada's February deadline.
Commonwealth Sport Canada jumped to Alberta, where they were prepared to make an early commitment to support the funding of bid preparation.
"We are thrilled to explore the possibility of bringing the Commonwealth Games to Alberta,” a spokesperson for the Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games Corporation told Reuters.
“This is an opportunity to showcase our beautiful province and its world-class facilities, as well as to celebrate the spirit of competition and international friendship," he added.
The prospect of hosting the Games in Alberta has generated excitement among sports enthusiasts and local businesses.
If the joint bid is successful, it would be the first time the Commonwealth Games is held in Alberta. Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, while Edmonton hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
Recently, Calgary saw its hopes of bringing the 2026 Winter Games back to the western Canadian city dashed when citizens voted resoundingly against a bid.
A successful bid by Calgary and Edmonton would bring the Games back to Canada after a gap of 36 years.
The country last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1994, in Victoria, British Colombia, where Canadian athletes won a total of 129 medals, including 40 golds.
Uganda picked up only two bronze medals at the particular games, both coming from boxing. Fred Muteweta in the Bantamweight with Charles Kizza also taking bronze in the Heavyweight category.
The Commonwealth Games, a quadrennial event, features athletes from Commonwealth countries competing in various sports.
Birmingham hosted the 2022 edition of the games, coming to the rescue after Durban, South Africa was stripped of the competition over financial concerns.
The Commonwealth games return to Australia for the second time in the last three editions when Victoria hosts in 2026 after it hosted in Gold Coast 2018
The official bid process for the 2030 Commonwealth Games is expected to begin in 2023, with the host city announcement expected in 2025.
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