Australia could lose its 2026 Commonwealth Games hosting rights since no state is interested in holding the event after Victoria withdrew in July.
There are three months left for the nation to find a host for the multi-sport event.
Three other unnamed regions have emerged as potential candidates to host the Games in 2026 or 2027, according to Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Chief Executive Katie Sadleir.
“We have been working intensely with Commonwealth Games Australia,” she said on Nov. 22 at the CGF’s general assembly in Singapore, which was aimed at “remodeling” the Games.
“They are very, very keen to keep the Games in Australia and so we’re working to support them with their inquiries ... There are three other regions that we are having conversations with, but they are very much of a preliminary sort of stage.
“We have started looking at alternative models and we’ll be continuing on with that work as well as we seek a host for 2026.”
Ms. Sadleir said that nothing is sure at present, and there was “a very short period of time” to find a host for the Games. While a final decision on the new host is expected in February, postponing the Games to 2027 has also been put on the table.
Commonwealth Games Australia Chief Executive Craig Phillips briefed countries at the general assembly, saying that he is still waiting for a formal proposal from the Gold Coast, the host of the 2018 Games.
“They have still got to work through internally what that could look like and also any ongoing conversations with the Queensland government in terms of their support,” he told Australian Associated Press (AAP). “Clearly a Games anywhere in Australia needs a lot of state government support.”
While Gold Coast mayor, Tom Tate, has repeatedly offered to step in with an estimated $700 million (US$457 million) cost, the Queensland government has ruled out taking up the mantle.
Other Commonwealth countries also wanted Australia to host the next Games, according to Mr. Phillips.
“There is a lot of support from our colleagues for the Games to still happen in Australia somewhere, which has been encouraging,” he said. “They have thrown their support behind us doing that.”
The chief executive added that CGF would continue canvassing other Australian states, although none have yet expressed interest so far.
“Obviously we’re preparing for conversations with different states. The work continues between us and the CGF in terms of framing what that could look like,” he said.
Ms. Sadleir vowed that the Games would go on in some shape or form.
“We will be doing something in ‘26, ’27,” she said. “We are spending some time looking at what Plan B may be. But at the same time, definitely focused on having serious conversations with potential hosts to talk about how we might be making this possible.”
The Victorian government withdrew as host, citing a forecast rise in costs from $2 billion to $7 billion.
Ms. Sadleir did not address the costs for Victoria to host the Games but said that the Games in Birmingham (2022) and Gold Coast (2018) had been significantly lower.
“Where we are looking right now in terms of potential hosts, we are certainly looking at reducing costs,” she said.
