Bid Highlights
- A motivation to host a Commonwealth Games that is intrinsically linked with plans for the long term development of the District of Hambantota and the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.
- All planned competition venues will be developed by 2016 allowing a comprehensive test event programme,including the 2016 South Asian Games.
- Special 'visa on arrival' arrangements will be in place during the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
- A Government-led project, with a strong financial commitment, fully supported by Guarantees.
Venues
Hambantota's sport and venue strategy for Hambantota's bid is unique in that all but three of the competition venues are in a single cluster -the Games Park - which also houses the Games Village and training venues for most sports. This means that the majority of athletes will have to travel no further than 1km from the Games Village to their respective competition or training venue.
This compact concept also provides reduced overlay, transport, security, technology and workforce costs, whilst delivering benefits to the athletes, officials, the Games Family and spectators.
Each venue will provide athletes with a high quality competition and training environment to facilitate optimal performance, whilst also addressing the needs of officials, the Games Family and spectators.
The Games Park cluster will stage the entire sports programme apart from the Shooting, located away from the Games Park due to logistics and safety implications; Triathlon; and Cycling (Road and Time Trial). All these events will be located approximately 35km from the Games Park in a second cluster in Tissamaharama (the Tissa cluster) Tissamaharama is a culturally significant town that dates to the third century BC. It is being restored as a historic heritage city and will be the cultural capital of the Southern Province. Tissamaharama is also one of the hotel clusters with many spectators staying in this area.
All competition venues apart from the world class Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium (which opened in 2011) are new build and form part of the overall masterplan. This masterplan has used best practice principles to ensure that each venue has a clearly defined legacy brief and is only a permanent venue if there is a proven long term legacy need. All the competition venues, apart from the Velodrome, will be developed regardless of the outcome of Hambantota's bid.
Aspects such as event-related transport and security requirements are fully integrated in to the design. This is a key benefit that will facilitate efficient and cost effective operational planning for the Games. Competition venue overlays have been planned in accordance with CGF guidelines and in consultation with IFs.
A unique spectator experience
The masterplan for the Games Park is designed around two main axes designated as boulevards. These boulevards provide pedestrian-only access to the venues and open plazas surrounding them. They provide a central thoroughfare and hub of activity for spectators. The boulevards will be lined with entertainment, concessions and design elements such as water features, to generate a festival atmosphere for the 125,000 spectators expected to visit the Games Park on an average day. This atmosphere will be facilitated by a Live Site, with entertainment and big screens in the open plazas creating an exciting buzz for athletes and spectators alike.
Convenient access to training venues
The training needs for all sports are met by a temporary Training Village, adjacent to the Games Village, combined with additional training provision at some competition venues, and an athletics track, indoor sports facilities and 50m pool in the Games Village.
Designed with legacy in mind
The masterplan proposals fit with the District's long term development plans, and ambition for Hambantota to become an economic hub, one of five metro cities in Sri Lanka and a new venue for world sport.
The masterplan will be integral to delivery of the Ministry of Sports new seven-year Strategic Plan. All planned venues will be ready by 2016 for the South Asian Games and will also provide world class venues for use by CGAs as part of the Athlete Training and Development Support Programme. A brief summary and images of each competition venue is set out over the following pages. A full set of block plans is contained in the Block Plan File.
Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium
The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium opened in February 2011 and staged two matches during the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup. The stadium was completed, from design to construction and fit out, in only 14 months. The current capacity of 34,300 (20,000 seated) will be increased to 60,000 prior to the ICC T20 World Cup in 2012, reinforcing the stadium’s position as the premier cricket venue in Sri Lanka and as an excellent ‘anchor’ facility within Sports City. It will provide a stunning location to commence and conclude the Games, hosting spectacular Opening and Closing Ceremonies. It will also stage Archery during the Games, with seating for 2,500 provided predominantly as temporary overlay.
Athletics Stadium
A new purpose-built Athletics Stadium, with a Gamestime capacity of 40,000, will be developed by 2014 and used in 2016 for the South Asian Games (2016 SAG). During the 2018 Games, it will stage both Athletics and Rugby 7s. Temporary overlay will accommodate the two days of Rugby 7s competition within the athletics in-field, providing a high quality playing and spectating environment.
The Athletics Stadium will provide a high quality competition venue for athletes to excel in one of the Games' showcase sports. The venue will be fronted by a central landscaped plaza, with large screens and concessions to provide a gathering space for spectators.
There will be a warm-up track and jump/throw areas adjacent to the Athletics Stadium, with direct and secure access into the competition area. The warm-up track will be retained in legacy mode which, combined with the Athletics Stadium, will provide the premier athletics venue in Sri Lanka for national, regional and international events. There will also be an athletics track in the Games Village for training.
Post-Games, the capacity will be reduced to 25,000 to provide a multi-purpose stadium suitable for hosting international, national, regional and local events for athletics, rugby and football. Regional sports federations for the Southern Province will be housed within the Athletics Stadium, making it the regional centre for sport. This new 25,000 capacity stadium will be developed regardless of whether Hambantota's bid is successful.
Hockey Stadium
The Hockey Stadium will be an iconic venue, providing a purpose-built venue for Hockey during the Games.
Developed by 2014, two new full size synthetic hockey pitches will be built in accordance with FIH/CGF requirements, with associated changing and spectator accommodation.
At Games-time, the main pitch will have a spectator apacity of 5,000, with 2,000 temporary seats for the secondary pitch.
Post-Games, the venue will provide a lasting legacy as the new home for the Sri Lanka Hockey Federation. It will be developed regardless of whether Hambantota's bid is successful and have a viewing capacity of 2,500.
Exhibition Centre
The new Exhibition Centre will host three sports during the Games – Badminton, Weightlifting and Netball (preliminaries). Each sport will be housed in a separate hall, with a 2,500 spectator capacity.
Post-Games, the Exhibition Centre will revert to its primary use as the Southern Province's main exhibition/conference centre, used for trade fairs, exhibitions and Bollywood productions.
It will be a state of the art Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) venue and will provide an important source of commercial revenue generation within the mixed zone of the Sports City.
Multi-Sport Complex
A new Multi-Sport Complex will accommodate five sports during the Games:
- Squash – a flexible show court adaptable for both singles and doubles with 2,500 spectator seating, and an additional 4 doubles and 6 singles courts with 500 additional seats spread across match courts
- Table-tennis – two show courts and a further eightmatch courts. Each show court will have a capacity of 2,500 with an additional 500 seats at the match courts
- Wrestling – a staged competition area with a capacity of 2,500
- Boxing – a main competition ring with a capacity of 2,500
- Lawn Bowls – a temporary lawn bowls venue comprising five natural turf competition greens. Total spectator capacity will be 2,500 distributed across all competition greens with the majority (800) at the main green.
Post-Games, the Multi-Sport Complex will provide a much needed multi-purpose flexible venue suitable for a range of indoor sports such as badminton, 5-a-side football, netball and volleyball, with an integrated health and fitness centre and amenities such as a food court, retail and public library. The Multi-Sport Complex will also house the new National Sports Museum, which will showcase Sri Lankan sporting achievements as an inspiration for future generations. This will be the only multi-purpose indoor sports centre in the District and a key recreational sporting facility for the 8,000 residents on-site including students of the new sports university. In legacy mode, the lawn bowls greens will be used as either formal outdoor sports pitches or green space to complement the indoor sporting provision. Construction will start in 2012 and will be completed by 2014.
Main Arena
The Main Arena, designed as a flexible, multi-purpose facility, will stage Gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic) as well as Netball (finals). Its flexible design means it can easily be transformed, through overlay, into a world class gymnastics venue that meets FIG/CGF requirements, with an easy transition from gymnastics to the netball finals.
Construction of the 5,000 capacity venue will start in 2012 and be completed by 2014.
Post-Games, as a multi-purpose arena, it will accommodate entertainment, sporting, cultural and music events – an important leisure and entertainment hub for the resident community.
Velodrome
If Hambantota is selected to stage the Games, a newVelodrome will be built within the Games Park. This will be the only velodrome in Sri Lanka and will be a permanent facility, completed by early 2017. The velodrome will meet all UCI and CGF requirements and will provide a high quality cycling environment.
Following the Games, the Sri Lankan Cycling Federation will use this venue as a catalyst to develop the track discipline of the sport. There is significant interest and participation in road cycling and this interest will be harnessed, using the new Velodrome, to develop track cycling.
Main Media Centre
The Main Media Centre (MMC) for the Games will combine the Main Press Centre (MPC) and International Broadcasting Centre (IBC), thus providing a more costeffective solution with respect to shared facilities.
Located close to the media accommodation to the north of the Games Park, it provides a highly convenient, easily accessible and fully equipped facility to meet the needs of the media.
In legacy mode the MMC building will be incorporated as part of the Business and IT Park.
Off-site venues
Ranminithenna Shooting Range
The Ranminithenna Shooting Range will be the only permanent venue located outside of the Games Park, approximately 35km away. It will be a new build venue specifically for the Games and will accommodate all four shooting disciplines in accordance with IF/CGF requirements. In legacy mode, this permanent venue will be used as the Joint Civilian Military Sports Shooting Venue for the development of shooting in Sri Lanka, owned by the Ministry of Defence and maintained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Triathlon
Triathlon will be staged in and around the ancient city of Tissamaharama, approximately 35km from the Games Park. The freshwater Tissa Lake and the surrounding network of new wide roads (being developed as part of the District's long term transport development plans) will provide an excellent location. Temporary overlay will provide spectator capacity for 2,000 at the transition area, with additional spectator seating/standing areas provided along the course. Road closures will be in place during the event.
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