Why Australia Must Host the Olympics (Again)September 04, 2015

1. The facilities won't end up as white elephant. Unlike the sports venues in Sarajevo and Athens, which hosted the 1984 Winter Games and 2004 Summer Games respectively, the facilities in Down Under won't go to waste. It will be used for the Commonwealth Games, a quadrennial sport event for athletes from the Commonwealth realm. There won't be other reasons to build new facilities; Sydney and Melbourne hosted the Olympics, while Brisbane was the venue of the XII Commonwealth Games.

2. Australians are sporty people. We love the outdoors. We can be great (sport) spectators. We have excel in many disciplines. The rest of the world know it.

3. The International Olympic Committee (OIC) may be looking for past hosts of the Olympic Games. The bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics was an eye opener. Beijing, which won the final round of voting, wasn't an early favourite. It would be one of the European cities, the venue of the annual World Cup races. However, the cost didn't sit well with the public. And there was no guarantee of return of investment. The recession could be the main reason.

4. More cities from the Southern Hemisphere must host the Olympics. It's understandable why a city from the Northern Hemisphere hosts a sport event. Most athletes come from that region. There are more viewers from the Northern Hemisphere. And the months of June, July, and August, where the summer season falls, are ideal for a sport event. No need to add more.

5. Hosting the Olympics might prompt the OIC to include other sport. Australia excels in cricket, but the OIC has yet to include it in its program. (It was last played during the 1900 Summer Games.) It must be an international event, where many countries participate in it. Cricket is more popular in Commonwealth states, but it might appeal to other nations in the near future.

6. Australians like to see homegrown sport played at home. Oz has a long list of Olympic champions in swimming. Likewise, the country produced winners in other disciplines. It's not hard to drum up (public) support.

7. Olympics is good for Australia. Cost shouldn't be an issue anymore. In fact, visitors have many reasons to support our bid (to host the Olympics). Australia has lots of attractions. They'll never meet a friendlier people. And they may never find a cooler summer.

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