Sir Rols Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Interesting details emerging about the vote: Kip Keino key to Coast's Games winRON Clarke's first step on St Kitts and Nevis soil was uneasy. He knew there was someone he desperately needed to find -- a great mate and a great rival. Two-time Olympic champion Kip Keino. Mayor Clarke believed Keino was the only man who could deliver the Gold Coast the Commonwealth Games. Cr Clarke had done the numbers and they didn't add up. Hambantota was likely to get the event our city so desperately needs. The powerful African voting bloc weren't going our way. As it stood, the votes were 25-all with another 20 delegates undecided. Nobody in Africa carries more clout than Keino, who is chairman of the Kenyan Olympic committee. He talks and the delegates listen. When Cr Clarke caught up with Keino, they hatched a secret plot. Keino was to go to every African delegate and secure the numbers. "I have a lot of friends in the Commonwealth Games movement," Cr Clarke said from a hotel in Miami on his way home. "Keino is a great buddy and he is revered throughout Africa. He acted as our unofficial ambassador for the week. He holds great standing and they listen to what he has to say. "He helped spread the word." Spread the word he did. Keino locked in the bulk of the 19 African nations, one by one. Ms Bligh privately told close confidantes it was Cr Clarke's aura as a superstar athlete that made the difference. Cr Clarke played his role down and heaped praise on Bligh. "We might disagree when we get back over water, but in St Kitts she was brilliant." When the result was announced on Saturday morning, Ms Bligh leapt out of her seat with tears in her eye. Mr Stockwell and Mr Peters couldn't contain their emotions. Cr Clarke barely moved. A few joked that Cr Clarke may have been asleep or didn't know what happened. Cr Clarke knew. He knew that he and a great mate had stitched up the numbers. When the result was read, there was no need for emotion. He'd known for a day the Gold Coast had won. GCB Africans won it for us, says MayorTHE Gold Coast bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games got over the line thanks to last-minute support from African countries. The competition between the Gold Coast and the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota was fierce during last-minute lobbying in the Caribbean this week in the lead-up to the vote. On Wednesday Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke said both teams were tied at 25 votes each, but in the final days the Gold Coast bid team managed to convince enough of the African delegates to get behind it. The Gold Coast was counting on getting all of the Oceania delegates to vote for its bid, plus most of the American and Carribean countries and Singapore and Malaysia, from the Asian region. But it needed some of the African delegates to support the bid if it was going to win. Cr Clarke said he was not sure if his long-time friend Kip Keino, from Kenya, helped convince African delegates to support the Gold Coast bid, but he was quick to congratulate him after the announcement. "We got a few votes over the line at the last minute," he said. Cr Clarke said he believed it was the enthusiasm of the Gold Coast people that secured the bid. "The great reception that delegates got when they were on the Gold Coast visiting was a major factor," he said. "The delegates were talking to me here (in St Kitts and Nevis) about that. "The Gold Coast and the Commonwealth Games were made for each other." Australian Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Perry Crosswhite said the fact the Gold Coast bid team had pledged to make the event more accessible to regional cities in the Commonwealth, had helped it win support. "I was involved in the bid we made for Adelaide to host it in 1998 and we lost to Kuala Lumpur," he said. "We learned a lot from that loss and that helped us to win this one." Mr Crosswhite said efforts to develop the relationship with delegates in the months leading up to the vote had been crucial. GCB Actually, that's ironic. I thought Keino is one of the few who had come out in public supporting Hambantota. But then again, I guess in hindsight that was just diplomatic-speak. It seems Oz does good with the African bloc - it was the same bloc that many attributed for our success in the 2000 Olympics bid. Well, just to make Alex happy, let me crow at a certain former member's (I'm sure he still reads here) - so much for the notion that "people of colour" will only vote for hosts based on the predominant skin tone of the contenders. And so much for the "magic spreadsheet" that shows that Australia can never win a CWGs bid when it faces contest. Now here's hoping for a Glasgow 2018 YOGs and a Durban 2022 CWGs to drive the final stake intoa certain Nova Scotian's bitter heart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deawebo Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Well i think Africa is really benefited with Gold Coast's win cuz it makes them the "favorites" and clearly the next contient to host CG in 2022. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Well i think Africa is really benefited with Gold Coast's win cuz it makes them the "favorites" and clearly the next contient to host CG in 2022. Great point! Still, gotta say, if the Nigerians had got their sh!t together and bid again this time, I think Abuja could have given GC a real run for their money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Great point! Still, gotta say, if the Nigerians had got their sh!t together and bid again this time, I think Abuja could have given GC a real run for their money. Well, Just to make Alex happy,let crow at a certain former member... What what what what!!!! Yeah but sadly, without encouragement from a certain corner of Canada to egg Abuja on, Nigeria has been left demoralised. Even more so over the shear cruel taunts they recieved from certain Major Olympic Bidding discussion websites ... ...But seriously I agree with the above mentions...It will be an all Africa affair and Abuja will probibly front up as a serious contender to Durban/Cape Town/Jo'burg et al. It could also encourage Accra and and possibly a west Indies bid to throw their names in as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markun Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 ...But seriously I agree with the above mentions...It will be an all Africa affair and Abuja will probibly front up as a serious contender to Durban/Cape Town/Jo'burg et al. It could also encourage Accra and and possibly a west Indies bid to throw their names in as well. That would be great, it would be much better to have a couple (if not more) African bids rather than Durban (or whoever from South Africa) walking in as the assumed winner because Africa has never had the Games. I still hope to see South Africa host in 2022. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 It will be an all Africa affair and Abuja will probibly front up as a serious contender to Durban/Cape Town/Jo'burg et al. It could also encourage Accra and and possibly a west Indies bid to throw their names in as well. Abuja's "exotic" appeal might give it a boost against another Kiwi, Canadian or UK bid, but I think if Durban (or anywhere else in SA enters) they lose that advantage and the South Africans will wipe the floor with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Didn't South Africa step aside to give Abuja a free run at 2014? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Didn't South Africa step aside to give Abuja a free run at 2014? Yep - and I've seen it implied the same for 2018. But they did say earlier this year when they decided not to bid for the 2020 SOGs, and go for a CWGs in the meantime, that they wouldn't stand aside for them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deawebo Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Accra? No way.... The only thing the did was the African Cup... Only Durban or Abuja... No other option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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