Asian Youth Games 2017:

Hambantota likely to be the host

Chinthana WASALA

Sri Lanka’s emerging commercial hub, Hambantota is likely to be the venue for the 2017 Asian Youth Games.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee (SLNOC) Chairman and Asian Olympic Council (AOC) Vice President Hemasiri Fernando to take action to bid for the 2017 games. Fernando is in Singapore with SLNOC secretary Maxwell de Silva. They held a meeting with Asian Olympic Council officials in this regard.

Sri Lanka is likely to be the sole bidder for the games, as no other National Olympic Committee has forwarded bid documents to the AOC as yet.

If things go in Sri Lanka’s favour, the proposed Sports City which is to be built in Hambantota, will be the venue for the globe’s third biggest youth sports extravaganza.

Several months back, Hambantota’s bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games received global recognition because of its unique concept and the government’s massive development plan for the region after the end of the decade war.

The inaugural version of the Asian Youth Games was held in Singapore in 2009 where Sri Lanka fielded 30 sportsmen and women, finishing 16th out of 44 countries with a silver medal and two bronze medals.

The next Asian Games will be held in Nanjing, China in 2013.