WATER POLO AUSTRALIA WELCOMES UPDATE ON BRISBANE 2032 

Water Polo Australia (WPA) has welcomed the news overnight that the IOC Executive Board (EB) will recommend the Brisbane proposal to host the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to a vote of the IOC Members in Session in Tokyo next month.

WPA CEO, Richard McInnes, said while there is one hurdle remaining it's an exciting time for sport in Australia. 

“Water Polo is a sport that saw first hand what a home Olympics can do to inspire a whole generation of athletes following the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and we welcome the news this morning about the progress of the Brisbane bid,” he said. 

AOC President John Coates, who recused himself from the decision-making process during last night’s Executive Board meeting and previous EB considerations of the Brisbane proposition, says Brisbane 2032 now faces final scrutiny from the IOC Members at the Session July 20-21 prior to the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Since being awarded Targeted Dialogue status, we have seen many months of hard work and cooperation between three levels of government, to get Brisbane 2032 before the IOC Members who make the ultimate decision next month.

“Frankly, the due diligence undertaken by the IOC’s Future Host Commission far exceeds that to which we were subject with our candidacy for Sydney 2000.

“But it is the Members we have to convince of the merits of our ambition to host the Summer Olympic Games for the third time. We have our date with destiny.

“Since entering the Targeted Dialogue phase in February this year, we have presented the IOC’s Future Host Commission with detailed responses to their Questionnaire and held forums where we have addressed the issues, they have raised in relation to the Brisbane proposition,” Mr Coates said.

“We also presented to the current 33 International Federations of sports and disciplines on the Olympic program under their Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) umbrella.” 

Mr Coates outlined the critical areas addressed in discussions since February;

• Vision and Legacy
• Games Master Plan and venues
• Transport
• Games experience for Athletes and spectators
• Sustainability
• The Economics of the Games
• Governance
• Guarantees

“Australia is a sports-loving nation with an excellent track record in delivering major international events. Importantly, the Brisbane proposal is fully compliant with the IOC’s New Norm agenda to make hosting the Olympic Games affordable and to deliver long lasting value to the communities which host them.

“Events would be hosted in facilities already existing, planned or upgraded. These planned and upgraded facilities will deliver long-lasting value to Queensland’s sporting and community legacy and will be in use before the Games.

“Most importantly for Queensland and Australia, the Games will super-charge the sporting environment which is so critical for the health and wellbeing of future generations.”

Mr Coates noted the independent economic assessment by KPMG, commissioned by the Queensland Government, has indicated that the Games will deliver a total benefit of $8.1 billion for Queensland, and $17.61 billion for Australia.

The report also found that the Games would create 91,600 Full Time Equivalent job years for Queensland and 122,900 Full Time Equivalent job years nationally.

“As we emerge from the economic setbacks of the COVID period, this is exactly the panacea Queensland and Australia needs. Economically, socially and for the health and wellbeing of the state and beyond.

“As the National Olympic Committee responsible for submitting the candidature, the AOC is excited about the potential for a Brisbane 2032 Games to inspire participation in sport for a generation of children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,” Mr Coates concluded.