Feds are keen to do their bit for Games bid

SOUTHEAST Queensland’s ambitious bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games is all but certain to clear the next hurdle, as the federal government moves to guarantee vital services including visas, security and anti-doping.

The bid took a huge leap forward last week when it became the International Olympic Committee’s preferred bidder for the global mega event. The next big step includes signed agreements being delivered to the IOC from different levels of government committing to essential services.

Priority guarantees are expected by April, with further decisions required in May ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in July.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s representative to the Olympics bid Ted O’Brien said the federal government was backing the games and that would continue.

“There’s a range of services that we’ll be asked to guarantee, including immigration, national security, quarantine, biosecurity, anti-doping and so forth, and I don’t foresee problems with any one of these,” he said.

“The mechanics of hosting big global events don’t occupy the minds of everyday Australians which is fair enough, but Australia is arguably the best in the business when it comes to delivering the services required.

“It’s one of the reasons we’re considered such a safe pair of hands.”

Other guarantees to be required will include venues, public transport and funding, with discussions continuing between the three levels of government.

Mr O’Brien said Australia had hands-on experience hosting major international sporting events, including the AFC Asian Cup in 2015, the Sydney 2018 Invictus Games, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020.

Coming up on the sporting calendar are FIBA Women’s World Cup in 2022, the 2022 UCI Road World Championships, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and a bid for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.