A bid for the future

Wednesday, 16 November 2011 00:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MANY are the articles penned and opinions aired over Sri Lanka’s bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games bid, but now the only question that needs to be answered is, where to from here?

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal told media that the cost for the promotion of Hambantota as the venue was US$ 8 million. Undoubtedly this is a significant cost and the claim that the Gold Coast spent US$ 11 million does not hold much water since they have far more resources that Sri Lanka, yet the point must be made that the bid was well received in an international arena and that is a positive for the country.

Whether any direct results from this will be felt by the country is unlikely, but at least there is hope that the tourism industry can benefit from it. Given that the money is already spent, there is little point in arguing over it now, but what is more important is the fate of Hambantota and preventing unwise decisions being made in that region.

It is unfortunate that after the Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka Cricket has suffered massive losses. However, few Government officials and policymakers are questioning as to why so many new stadiums were constructed or renovated for just 12 matches. Why was a brand new international stadium built in Hambantota when there were other venues that could have been used or upgraded at much less cost? What was the logic behind the move and why are these policymakers not held to book? The answer is rather obvious and planning the sustainability of a project is more important than carrying it out.

Development must match the amount of funds that are available. Planning big is good to a certain extent, but planning extra-large can result in Dubai-like chaos. The Government is adamant that Hambantota should be developed for sports tourism, but whether or not Sri Lanka can pull the big name sports events remains to be seen.

London, which is hosting the Olympics next year and has already held the Commonwealth Games four times, is already aggressively campaigning to get post 2012 events so that the venues that are built can be maintained without a headache to the Government or the taxpayer. This is a lesson that Sri Lanka would do well to pay attention to in implementing its seven-year sports development plans.

If the World Cup is an example of how competent Sri Lankan authorities are in holding international sports events, then there needs to be a more honest and transparent look at the aims of policymakers and Government heads. Factoring in the environmental cost of the development would also be timely given that it has a densely populated elephant habitation.

Funding, maintaining and promoting Hambantota as a viable international sports venue needs more convincing planning and action. For a first effort Sri Lankan officials did not fare badly and admittedly a lot of work did go into the bid. It would be callous not to acknowledge this commitment, but at the same time there is need for more pragmatism and sustainability for the road ahead.