‘Chch could host another Comm Games’ BUT with far fewer sports – Ullrich
A former New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games chef de mission says Christchurch could host the Commonwealth Games if the event was ‘‘drastically reduced in size’’.
Christchurch’s Bruce Ullrich was the deputy chairman of 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games organising committee and was chef de mission of three Commonwealth and Olympic Games teams.
Ullrich, a former New Zealand Olympic Committee vice president, believes the Commonwealth Games should still have a future and considers Christchurch should be the next New Zealand host city.
But he has warned that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) must make some hard decisions to reduce to 10 to 12 individual sports if the Games are to survive.
His comments came after the CGF confirmed that Durban had lost the right to stage the 2022 Commonwealth Games after ‘‘significant departures’’ from its initial pledges.
Ullrich said reducing the scale of the Games would allow smaller and emerging Commonwealth countries to bid for them.
He believes Christchurch could again be a serious contender to host the 2026 Games under a revised format.
‘‘As a part of its $50 billion rebuild, Christchurch is developing world class facilities which include a water sports park and an all-weather track.
‘‘With imagination, the latter could be suitable as a main stadium with our two universities again forming the basis of our athletes’ village.
‘‘It would be our chance to dem- onstrate to the world that we’re back in business,’’ he said.
Ullrich said participation numbers began to soar from around 1500 to 5000 after Malaysia hosted the 1998 Games and included team sports such as hockey and cricket.
‘‘That decision hugely increased the infrastructure costs limiting the number of applicants coming forward to host the Games. Bigger is not necessarily better.
‘‘Durban, withdrawing its hosting rights because of costs, is perhaps the last straw for the future of the Games.
‘‘The CGF must make some realistic decisions so the Games can be successfully hosted by smaller countries.’’
New Zealand has hosted the Commonwealth (or Empire) Games three times, at Auckland in 1950 and 1990 and Christchurch in 1974. Ullrich said New Zealand had not made a formal bid since 1990 ‘‘because the price tag of up to $500 million would have to be met by the hosting government’’.
Unlike the Olympics, where television revenue was a major income source, the TV contract for Commonwealth Games was minimal, Ullrich said.
Yet he said the Games played an important part in bringing the Commonwealth together and giving international competition to developing athletes.
‘‘There’s no doubt the Games have given our competitors the opportunity for experience which has led to outstanding results at the Olympics.’’
If the Games were reduced to 10 or 12 individual sports, other Commonwealth countries could bid to host team sports events, Ullrich said.
‘‘These would be an official part of the Games, held elsewhere in the same year under the auspices of the CGF.’’