Host pulls out of Commonwealth Games‘HUGELY DISAPPOINTING’: The Commonwealth Games Federation said that Victoria had added sports and venues that raised the costs against the advice of the federationAFP, MELBOURNEThe Australian state of Victoria yesterday pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games citing major cost blowouts, leaving organizers “hugely disappointed” as they scrambled to keep the multisport event afloat. Staff carry the Commonwealth Games Federation flag into the arena during the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Melbourne on March 15, 2006. We have informed Commonwealth Games authorities of our decision to seek to terminate the contract,” he said. Andrews refused to say how much it would cost to terminate the agreement, but said that talks with the Commonwealth Games Federation were amicable. These additional costs were “often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia,” it said, adding that it had received assurances that “sufficient funding was available to deliver the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games.”Commonwealth Games Australia president Ben Houston was equally scathing, saying that the new cost estimates were a “gross exaggeration.”“Beyond disappointing for us,” he told reporters.
