Sri Lanka on Tuesday expressed the hope that Commonwealth nations would support its bid for the 2018 games. Hambantota (Sri Lanka), and Gold Coast (Australia) are the now cities that have bid for the games. The results will be known in November.
The head of the bid committee, Central Bank of Sri Lanka governor Ajith Nivarad Cabraal, drawing a parallel with Malaysia said that what the 1998 Kuala Lumpur games did for Malaysia, the 2018 games would do for Sri Lanka. It would spur development of infrastructure and would give a fillip to employment in the region in general. Sri Lanka would finally have come out of the devastating 30-year-long war and 2004 tsunami by hosting the games.
Much of the infrastructure will be ready in time for the 2016 South Asian Federation Games, Mr.Cabraal said, and added that the same infrastructure with additions will be used for the 2018 games. He admitted that Gold Coast had completed work on most of its infrastructure.
Mr.Cabraal said that the hosting of the games would give Sri Lanka the momentum it required to propel it forward. “Sri Lanka is ready. If we are able to host the games, Sri Lanka will receive tremendous benefit. Its citizens would get a better deal,” he said.
