CHENNAI : Malaysia has declined to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026, despite the Commonwealth Games Federation’s offer to contribute 100 million pounds towards the expenditure. This is the second time a country has said no to the Games after Victoria, which pulled out because of spiraling costs. Last time Birmingham stepped in after Durban backed out.
In a major setback to the already stressed Games, the Malaysian government on Friday said that it would not be able to host the Games because of limited time. Government spokesperson and communications minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said, “If we had a longer time, we would definitely do it, but because there’s such a short time, we definitely can’t do it. When we assessed the viability of hosting the Games, the length of time needed and the cost was seen to be particularly prohibitive.”
With the latest withdrawal, there is a possibility that the Games may not be held for the first time since the World War 2. This brings into focus the declining popularity of the Games. About 70 countries participate in the quadrennial event of the Commonwealth — colonies ruled by England. Over the years, the cost of hosting the Games and one-sided events had proven a burden.
India, which hosted the CWG in 2010, was not interested to organise the Games this time. If officials are to be believed the CGF had sent feelers to India as well. Even the government apparently is not interested in hosting CWG as it is focused on bidding successfully for the Olympics in 2036. India would want to come out of that colonial mindset and concentrate on bigger challenges.
In this modern nationalistic environment, the Games itself has lost relevance, especially due to its colonial origins. Though it’s expensive, when it comes to Olympics the enormity of the Games overshadows a lot of other economic and financial issues. Yet there have been occasions when hosts like Sydney, Athens and Rio de Janeiro felt the pinch. Sydney Olympic Park was torn between legacy and sustainability. Athens had its economic downturn after the Olympics. Same in Brazil. Another issue is the cost and sustainability of the Games.
A multi-sport event that doesn’t have a strong financial model and dominated by a few countries like England, Australia, India, Canada and South Africa, it is only natural that sports tourism is not a viable option. Also, the competition for athletes is lop-sided. Victoria withdrew because the cost estimate reportedly would triple from $2.2 billion (Rs 18381.62) to up to $7 billion (Rs 58482.44 crore). Under the circumstances, it is understandable if no nation wants to host the CWG. Even Canada pulled out of the 2030 race.
Recovering cost as was in the case of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi has been one of the reasons countries are not bothered. There were allegations of corruption, multiple controversies within the 2010 CWG organising committee. Huge expenditure and rising costs of the Games turned it into a financial burden. And when it comes to legacy, all the stadiums in New Delhi, which were built or renovated, remain underutilised. Some turned into a white elephant.
Since 2010, the Games were held in England, Australia and England. Malaysia had hosted it last in 1998. Since then it’s been Manchester, Melbourne, New Delhi, Glasgow, Gold Coast and Birmingham. Finding a new host nation has always been a challenge. There has been no sports tourism as expected. Since 2010, the Opening Ceremonies have been scaled down versions and even the operating costs have been minimal. Perhaps the Malaysian government too did not want to risk the economic impact the Games would have had.