 "Commonwealth Games: Why the event is struggling to find a host country")
The Canadian province of Alberta on Friday withdrew its support for a bid centred around Calgary/Edmonton to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, weeks after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Games.
The announcement is just another setback for the Commonwealth Games Federation, and now many are questioning if the event should be scrapped entirely. Should the Games be called off?
Let’s take a look at what has gone wrong for the Games and why it has been struggling to find a host country.
Alberta cancels bid for 2030 Commonwealth Games
On Friday, Canada’s Alberta withdrew its support for a bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Initially the province had proposed a joint bid centred on the cities of Edmonton and Calgary for the 2030 edition of the Games.
However, Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow said in a statement that hosting the Games, which generally attract over 4,000 participants from the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, was not in the best interests of Alberta taxpayers.
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Initially, the province had planned to invest $2 million on bid exploration, with Calgary and Edmonton each contributing $1 million. Those plans are now dead, Schow said, adding that the costs, estimated to be in excess of Canadian $2.68 billion, were too high.
“It’s not a good deal for Alberta. When it comes down to it, it has to be a good deal for Alberta taxpayers and this just wasn’t that," the minister was quoted as saying by Calgary Herald.
Schow further cited limited broadcast revenue and corporate sponsorship as grounds for dropping their bid. “Frankly, the Commonwealth Games placed the majority of the financial part of the risk on the government and taxpayers," he added.
In response, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said it was “sorry to hear that Alberta is no longer developing its bid proposal."
Why did Alberta drop its bid for the 2030 Games?
Shortly after Alberta made its announcement, Commonwealth Sport Canada, the body in charge of organising Canadian teams competing in the Commonwealth Games, stated that what transpired in Victoria influenced Alberta’s decision.
“We believe the recent decision by the Victorian government to withdraw from the 2026 Commonwealth Games was a significant factor in Alberta’s decision, as well as an over-dependence on taxpayer’s support for the planning and delivery of the Games,” said the body.
“Commonwealth Sport Canada is profoundly disappointed in the Alberta government’s decision but respects their right to make this decision," it added.
Why did Victoria pull out as Commonwealth Games host?
Earlier in July, Australia’s Victoria had made a similar move, dropping its bid to host the 2026 Games, citing increasing costs.
The state’s premier Dan Andrews while announcing the news had said that the cost of hosting the Games may potentially exceed A$7 billion ($4.77 billion), up from a budgeted A$2.6 billion ($1.77 billion).
Andrews has also said that he would not take money out of hospitals and schools to fund an event that is three times the cost as estimated and budgeted for last year.
The 2026 Games were supposed to be held in the regional centres of Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland and Shepparton from March 17 to March 29.
Following Victoria’s withdrawal, it was reported that Ahmedabad would bid to host the 2026 Games.
The Times of India (ToI) had earlier reported that the Games may make a comeback to India after 16 years. Delhi had last hosted the Games in 2010.
The report further said that top government sources expressed confidence in completing all the infrastructure work in time.
The future of the Games
Now, with two cities withdrawing their bids to host the Games, the future of the event – that first began in 1930 and was rebranded to the present in 1978 – is uncertain.
Many experts and former members of sports bodies assert that the challenge in finding a host is not just due to financial considerations, but also because the competition's global reputation and relevance are dwindling. It no longer draws the same amount of star power.
Australian sports historian Dr Matthew Klugman told the BBC, “There’s much less interest than there used to be.
“It’s not the phenomenon that it was even in the 1990s. It does reflect a changing world," Klugman said.