The Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Lehmann, yesterday announced his government’s readiness to host the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between April 4 and April 15, this year.
Australia won the hosting right over Sri Lanka’s Hambantota in 2011 at a meeting of the Commonwealth Games Federation in the Caribbean Island of St Kitts.
Australia had hosted the games four times previously in the event’s 80-year history, while Sri Lanka was bidding to host the games for the first time.
Lehmann told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the Australian government and Australians were impressed with the opportunity given to them to host the games again.
“We are very proud and excited to be hosting the Commonwealth Games.
“Australia has a long history of hosting major sporting events, and the state of Queensland, where the Games will be held, is quite sports-crazy.
“It will be the fifth time we are hosting the Games, with the most recent time being in Melbourne in 2006.
“All the major facilities are already in place, and I think at this stage, there’s just some fine-tuning to be done. So, we are definitely ready to host the Games,” he said.
According to him, the Gold Coast is rich in natural beauty, with plenty of beaches, parks and outdoor activities for visitors.
Lehmann said that the Gold Coast, where the games had been scheduled to hold, also had plenty of world-class restaurants and entertainment.
The High Commissioner added that the place was already a popular tourist destination in its own right, with huge variety of hotels to choose from.
