Commonwealth Games Australia congratulates all those involved in the bidding process who worked tirelessly to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to Australia.
Two of the biggest sporting events on the planet are set to return to Australian shores after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) President Ben Houston is delighted at the news of Brisbane winning the bid to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, congratulating those involved in the bid process, and knows the country has the ability to again host the Games.
“This decision by the International Olympic Committee is an exciting one for the people of Brisbane and for the people of Australia as a whole,” Houston said.
“On behalf of Commonwealth Games Australia, I congratulate those involved in the bidding process, and our friends at the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia, who will be tremendous custodians of the Games in 2032, and a fitting 50-year anniversary tribute of the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games.
“The Queensland Government, Queenslanders and Australians have shown that they know how to host and embrace sporting celebrations, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games are an excellent recent example of how all parties came together to put on a world-class multi-sport event.
“I am sure Brisbane 2032 will be no different.”
View this post on Instagram
As the previously postponed Tokyo Olympics get underway this week followed by the Paralympics next month, it starts a countdown until Brisbane 2032, which will become the third major multi-sport event held in Australia since the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, followed by the Melbourne 2006 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games Australia remains committed to bringing the Commonwealth Games back to Australia in 2026 adding to the decade long ‘green and gold’ runway of major events in this country.
The announcement by the IOC awarding the 2032 Games to Brisbane, supports the recent joint submission by Commonwealth Games Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee, on behalf of their 49 member sports who collectively represent 13 million participants and many millions more volunteers, have combined to deliver a significant vision for the future of Australian sport through a comprehensive submission to the Federal Government’s 2021 Intergenerational Report.
The submission – Sport: Powering Australia’s Future (10+10) – is the first time Australia’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport bodies have provided a submission to government addressing the intergenerational challenges facing the nation and how sport can deliver positive generational change for the country.
During the 11-year countdown until 2032 there will be three editions of the Commonwealth Games, including the Birmingham 2022 Games which are now just over a year away.
CGA ALUMNI ARE READY FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS
There will be 152 Commonwealth Games Australia alumni amongst the 487 team members who will be donning the green and gold for the Australian Olympic Team at the Tokyo Olympics.
READ MORECommonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Phillips understands the positive impact hosting a home Games can mean for Australian sport at all levels, inspiring the next generation of Australian sport stars to chase their dreams
“There will be three editions of the Commonwealth Games between now and Brisbane, including Birmingham next year, and we would like to host another home Commonwealth Games in 2026, to help facilitate another ‘golden period’ of Australian sport similar to what occurred for Australian sport as a result of the Sydney Games in 2000,” Phillips said.
“Seeing not only our country’s best athletes but the world’s best in person and competing on Australian soil inspires the next generation of sporting stars to continue to pursue their dreams and goals.
“This was the case for many of our younger Commonwealth Games alumni members who cite watching the Sydney Games or the Melbourne Commonwealth Games as the spark of their passion towards achieving their dreams.
“We all benefit when the green and gold is on show at home… and as we saw with Sydney in 2000, Melbourne in 2006, and most recently on the Gold Coast.”
As a direct legacy of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games Australia continues its commitment to assisting in developing the next generation of Australian sporting stars through its direct athlete support.
Commonwealth Games Australia’s $2 million-dollar direct athlete support scheme has been renamed ‘Breakthrough2022’ designed to directly assist athletes with financial support for their preparations for the Birmingham Games and beyond.
Australia is sending its largest-ever contingency to an Olympics Games on foreign soil in Tokyo with a total of 488 athletes.
Of these 487 athletes, 152 have previously represented the Green and Gold at the Commonwealth Games, comprising 31.2% of the entire team.
While many Olympic sports are not on the Commonwealth Games sport programme, of the 262 Olympic team members competing in Commonwealth Games sports, the CGA alumni represent 58% of this total.
A number Phillips is proud of celebrating as the Commonwealth Games continues to play an important part in Australia’s high performance sports landscape.
“We are proud of not only the 152 members of our Commonwealth Games alumni, but all of the Australian Olympics team members, who will be representing our nation in Tokyo,” Phillips said.
“We can’t wait to cheer for them all.”
