Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games bid
Encyclopedia
The Abuja bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was an unsuccessful bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games
by the city of Abuja
, Nigeria
. The bidding race was won by the Glasgow 2014 bid
after a 47-24 vote by the Commonwealth Games Federation
(CGF) General Assembly 9 November 2007 in Sri Lanka
.
was the head of the Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games bid team, he called for all Nigerians to support the games for the "glory of Nigeria". He suggested that Nigeria would be a prime location for the games because of its unity, serenity, topography
and availability of standard sporting facilities. Abuja
had recently hosted the All-Africa Games
, The African regional version of the olympics, for which it constructed a world-class olympic stadium and games village. It was a hugely successful tournament with more than 7,000 athletes (and larger in size than any Commonwealth Games ever held). The 2014 Commonwealth Games would also be an integral part of national celebration plans for Nigeria's centenary.
The Abuja
bid received strong support from African Commonwealth members (which make up the bulk of the Commonwealth) as well as Australia, in what would be the largest multi-sport event to be held thus far on the continent. Despite its number of members, no African country has ever hosted the games and is that last major continent, excluding South America
never to have acted as host. The website, www.abuja2014.org simple said "...completing the Commonwealth Games Circle"
An article from Jonathan Clayton of the Times
said:
Abuja airport would be modernised to cater for the sheer capacity of the influx due to the games. This would further boost their bid to host the games. A state of the art light rail transit
system was included in the bid documents. The Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) administration announced that it had awarded a $841m contract for the construction of the system, which would be completed by 2012.
The Abuja 2014 Bid Committee issued a list of 17 sports that they planned to host:
The Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games Bid, led by General Yakubu Gowon, submitted the Abuja 2014 Candidature File (Bid Book) on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 to the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Michael Fennel, at a ceremony in London where Glasgow also submitted its Candidature File. Members of the Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Board and representatives of the Scotland and Nigeria Communities were also present at the ceremony.
General Yakubu Gowon, said that his country was also "confident", despite the adverse evaluation of its bid by a four-member team in September. The group's report found fault with the city's plans for budgeting, transport, legacy, marketing and venues. "As far as we are concerned our bid is not only an Abuja bid but an African bid," said General Gowon. "We are going there for a good, good fight, remember I am a general."
winner Bishop Desmond Tutu
to delegates during the final video presentation to delegates before voting began.
Michael Fennell the CGF President, said:
The website simple said "We appreciate, all your efforts, contributions and for believing in us. Abuja2014 Bid Committee"
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be held in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The winning city was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation on 9 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Games will run over 11 days of competition from 24 July to 3 August 2014...
by the city of Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The bidding race was won by the Glasgow 2014 bid
Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bid
The Glasgow bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was the successful bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games by the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It beat the Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games bid to host the games, which will be held over 11 days, with the opening ceremony on 23 July 2014, and the last day...
after a 47-24 vote by the Commonwealth Games Federation
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
(CGF) General Assembly 9 November 2007 in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Background
The former Nigerian leader General Yakubu GowonYakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
was the head of the Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games bid team, he called for all Nigerians to support the games for the "glory of Nigeria". He suggested that Nigeria would be a prime location for the games because of its unity, serenity, topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
and availability of standard sporting facilities. Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
had recently hosted the All-Africa Games
All-Africa Games
The All-Africa Games, sometimes called the African Games or the Pan African Games, are a regional multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa...
, The African regional version of the olympics, for which it constructed a world-class olympic stadium and games village. It was a hugely successful tournament with more than 7,000 athletes (and larger in size than any Commonwealth Games ever held). The 2014 Commonwealth Games would also be an integral part of national celebration plans for Nigeria's centenary.
The Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
bid received strong support from African Commonwealth members (which make up the bulk of the Commonwealth) as well as Australia, in what would be the largest multi-sport event to be held thus far on the continent. Despite its number of members, no African country has ever hosted the games and is that last major continent, excluding South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
never to have acted as host. The website, www.abuja2014.org simple said "...completing the Commonwealth Games Circle"
An article from Jonathan Clayton of the Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said:
Abuja airport would be modernised to cater for the sheer capacity of the influx due to the games. This would further boost their bid to host the games. A state of the art light rail transit
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system was included in the bid documents. The Federal Capital Territory
Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
The Federal Capital Territory is the home of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The Territory was formed in 1976 from parts of former Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi States. It is in the central region of the country...
(FCT) administration announced that it had awarded a $841m contract for the construction of the system, which would be completed by 2012.
The Abuja 2014 Bid Committee issued a list of 17 sports that they planned to host:
- Aquatics (SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
) - Athletics
- BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- CyclingCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
(Road, Mountain and Track) - GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
(Artistic and Rhythmic) - Field hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- JudoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
- BowlsBowlsBowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
- NetballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
- Rugby sevensRugby sevensRugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
- ShootingShooting sportsA shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
- SquashSquash (sport)Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
- Table TennisTable tennisTable tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
- WeightliftingPowerliftingPowerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
The Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games Bid, led by General Yakubu Gowon, submitted the Abuja 2014 Candidature File (Bid Book) on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 to the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Michael Fennel, at a ceremony in London where Glasgow also submitted its Candidature File. Members of the Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Board and representatives of the Scotland and Nigeria Communities were also present at the ceremony.
Evaluation process
The Evaluation Commission visited Abuja between 4 June and 7 June 2007. The conclusions of the CGF Evaluation Commission were that "The Abuja Bid Committee submitted a Candidate City File which has the substantial and broad backing of the Nigerian Government. The Evaluation Commission submitted a number of issues to be clarified by Abuja and while most of these matters were addressed, a number of matters remain of concern and these are noted in the body of the report...and any decision to award the games to Abuja should be conditional on these matters being addressed"General Yakubu Gowon, said that his country was also "confident", despite the adverse evaluation of its bid by a four-member team in September. The group's report found fault with the city's plans for budgeting, transport, legacy, marketing and venues. "As far as we are concerned our bid is not only an Abuja bid but an African bid," said General Gowon. "We are going there for a good, good fight, remember I am a general."
Final selection process
"A vote for Abuja means a vote for whole of Africa," appealed Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner Bishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
to delegates during the final video presentation to delegates before voting began.
Reaction
General Gowon accepted that the Games had been won by "a better presentation" but "The size of the vote for Glasgow was a surprise. We thought we had a very strong case for bringing the Games to Africa for the first time", he went on "It was a friendly battle and we hope we will win next time."Michael Fennell the CGF President, said:
The website simple said "We appreciate, all your efforts, contributions and for believing in us. Abuja2014 Bid Committee"
See also
- 2014 Commonwealth Games bids2014 Commonwealth Games bidsBidding for the 2014 Commonwealth Games began from 24 February 2006 until the winner was announced on 9 November 2007. Glasgow won the race and was selected by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth Games Federation at a meeting in Sri Lanka to host the games. The vote was 47 votes for Glasgow...
- Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bidGlasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bidThe Glasgow bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was the successful bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games by the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It beat the Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games bid to host the games, which will be held over 11 days, with the opening ceremony on 23 July 2014, and the last day...
- Halifax 2014 Commonwealth Games bidHalifax 2014 Commonwealth Games bidThe Halifax bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was a withdrawn bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games by Halifax Regional Municipality, the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada....