H’tota selection based on practicality not politics: Namal

Insists that the Games has raised the pride of rural villages and shown that they can compete with international cities

By Uditha Jayasinghe  

The decision to select Hambantota as the city to host the Commonwealth Games was a practical and not a political one, said MP Namal Rajapaksa. 

MP Namal Rajapaksa speaks beside the large model of the proposed Hambantota sports city unveiled at a press conference along with members of 2018 Commonwealth Games Bid Evaluation Commission and other officials - Pic by Upul Abayasekara

Speaking to the media at the conclusion of the bid evaluation team’s visit to Sri Lanka yesterday, Rajapaksa insisted that the decision to select Hambantota was a growth opportunity for the entire country and not limited to that region alone.

Rajapaksa was selected to Parliament with the highest number of preferential votes from that region. He along with Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and other officials unveiled the official plan of the Games City at the press conference.   

“When we were discussing where to hold the games with the President and other officials, the option of Hambantota was put forward because it has the necessary infrastructure,” he said, adding that the port, international airport, highways and already existing international cricket stadium made that region the most practical option. 

“When the international cricket stadium was set up there, we knew that it would not be sustainable unless an extended Games City was also established. This was the thought process behind having the other buildings necessary for the Commonwealth Games constructed. It must also be remembered that the extent of the Games City is such that it spills over into the Moneragala District as well so the accusation that it is limited to Hambantota is not true.”

Leaving aside the geographical considerations, Rajapaksa was quick to point out that this was a point of pride to villages that had earlier been sidelined. Observing that this was part of the Government’s overall plan to take development to rural areas, he stressed that people should be proud that a city like Hambantota can now stand with one of the riches cities of Australia as an equal.

“We want the member countries to compare Sri Lanka and Australia and decide who needs this more. We want it to be a clean fight; after all this is about sportsmanship so let’s keep the Games a clean fight,” he said, in response to a question on whether the Gold Coast, Hambantota’s rival for the bid, would use the tenuous human rights record of Sri Lanka to tilt the bid in their favour.